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■  THE  ARMENIANS, 

OR 

The  People  of  Ararat. 

- © - - 

A  Brief  Historical  Sketch  of  the  Past  and 
the  Present  Condition  of  Armenia,  the 
Armenians,  their  Religion,  and 
Missions  among  them. 

- © - 

WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

— © - -  . 


WC  THE 

Rev.  M.  C.  CABRIELIAN,  M.  D. 

- 0 - — 


Allen,  Lane  &  Scott, 

PRINTERS  AND  PUBLISHERS, 

229-233  South  Fifth  Street,  Philadelphia. 
1892. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1892, 
By  M.  C.  GABRIELIAN, 

In  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


TO  THE  FRIENDS  OF 
CHRISTIANITY  AND  HUMANITY 

THIS  VOLUME  IS  RESPECTFULLY  DEDICATED 

BY  THE  AUTHOR. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

ARMENIA. 

Cradle  ol  human  race — Boundaries — Ancient  testimonies — A 
highland — Mount  Masis  (Ararat) — Description — Volcanic  ori¬ 
gin — The  earliest  name  of  Armenia — A  blunder — Ancient  ref¬ 
erences — The  great  rivers — The  Garden  of  Eden — Lakes — 
Climate  — Products — Flowers  — Birds  — Mines  — Cities  — Present 
condition .  1-31 

CHAPTER  II. 

THE  ARMENIANS. 

Origin  of  the  people — Biblical  testimony — Haig,  the  founder  of 
the  race — Successors — Aram — Armenia  from  Aram — Ararat  or 
Arardhi  of  Inscriptions — Its  antiquity — History  furnished  by 
cuneiform  inscriptions— Kings  of  Van — Assyrian  culture — 
Not  Assyrians — Tigranes  I. — Grecian  invasion — Rise  of  Arsa- 
cide  dynasty — Tigranes  the  Great — Roman  invasion — Antony, 
the  Roman  general — Artavasdes . 32-49 

CHAPTER  III. 

CONFLICTING  FORCES  IN  THE  EAST. 

Overthrow  of  the  Parthian  Empire — Division  of  the  Roman  Em¬ 
pire — Armenians  between  Persia  and  Eastern  (Greek)  Em¬ 
pire — Armenia’s  change  of  religion — Revival  of  Zoroastrian¬ 
ism  in  Persia — Constantine  the  Great — Intestine  troubles  in 
Armenia — Struggle  for  liberty — Self-called  prophet  and  his 
followers — Condition  of  the  Christians — Rise  of  a  new  dynas¬ 
ty — Tartar  and  Turkish  tribes  and  their  invasion — Downfall 

(5) 


6 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


of  the  Armenian  independence — Gakig — Fall  of  Ani — Inva¬ 
sion  of  the  Seljukian  Turks — Seljukian  rule  oppressive — Reu¬ 
ben  I.,  Armenian  Independence  in  Cilicia— -Crusades — Con¬ 
dition  of  the  new  dynasty — Genghis  Khan — Conduct  of  the 
Crusaders — Armenians  surrounded  by  Mohammedan  pow¬ 
ers — Defeat  of  the  Armenians — Leo  VI.,  his  family  captives — 
Liberated  and  his  death . . 50-67 

CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  ARMENIANS  IN  THE  PERIOD  OF  SUBJECTION. 

Changes  in  Western  Asia — Origin  of  Turkish  Empire — Othman — 
Standing  army — Janissaries — Conquests  — Armenians — Cruel¬ 
ties  of  Tamerlane — Capture  of  Constantinople — Letter  of  Pope 
Pius  II. — Contest  over  Armenia — Shah  Abbas — Captive  Arme¬ 
nians — Russian  and  Persian  contests  over  the  land  of  Ararat — 
Bravery  of  the  Armenians — Russian  perfidy — Armenians  scat¬ 
tered — Villages — Houses — Occupation  of  villagers — Patriarchial 
family  life — Shepherd’s  life — Farming — Fertility — Churches — 
People  in  larger  towns  and  cities — Occupation — Ancient  mer¬ 
chants — Cruel  jealousy  of  the  Turks — Patriarchate  of  Con¬ 
stantinople — Mode  of  government — Armenians  in  India — In 
Persia — In  Russia — Unjust  policy  of  Russia — Number  of  Ar¬ 
menians — Their  language — Literature — Moral  character  .  68-96 

CHAPTER  V. 

THE  PRESENT  ARMENIAN  TROUBLES. 

Christianity  persecuted  under  a  political  garb — No  safety  for 
the  Christian — No  justice  in  Turkish  courts — corruption  ol 
officials — Atrocities — “The  tears  of  Armenia” — Bishop  Ner¬ 
ses — Russo-Turkish  war — Treaty  of  Berlin — Anglo-Turkish 
agreement — England  responsible — Reluctance  of  the  govern¬ 
ment  to  protect  her  Christian  subjects — Thirteen  Armenian 
villages  destroyed — Moussa  Bay — Persecutions — Massacres — 
Outrages — European  powers — Condition  of  unjustly  impris¬ 
oned — Armenia  lamented — Must  be  regenerated  .  .  .  97-120 


CONTENTS. 


7 


CHAPTER  VI. 

PRE-CHRISTIAN  MONOTHEISM  AND  POLYTHEISM. 

Primitive  monotheism — Instances — Primitive  religion  of  ancient 
Aryans— Armenians  Aryans — Corruption  of  religion — Sabe- 
ism — Polytheism — Babylonian  and  Assyrian  influence — Zoro¬ 
astrianism — Its  corruption  by  Babylonian  and  Grecian  poly¬ 
theism  . . . 121-127 

CHAPTER  VII. 

CONVERSION  OF  THE  ARMENIANS. 

Religious  condition  of  Western  Asia  in  the  time  of  Christ— Chris¬ 
tianity  in  Armenia — First  Christian  nation — Anak — Gregory — 
Artaxerxes — Tiridates — St.  Gregory’s  return  and  work — Con¬ 
version  of  the  king  and  the  nation  —  Scriptures  —  Persian 
persecutions — Religious  wars — Zoroastrianism  enforced — Final 
victory  of  Christianity — Council  of  Chalcedon — Its  decision  re¬ 
fused — The  Armenian  Church  not  Eutychian  or  Monophysite — 
Greek  oppression — Mohammedanism  and  its  fanatic  followers — 
Cruelties — Gashem — Lack  of  Christion  love . 128-148 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  ARMENIAN  CHURCH. 

A  national  Church — Surrounded  by  hostile  forces — People  scat¬ 
tered — Patriarchates  necessitated— Papal  missionaries — Influ¬ 
ence  of  Jesuits — Division — Claim  of  the  Church — Bishops  or 
presbyters — Priests  or  elders — Support  of  clergy — Deacons— 
Vartabeds  or  evangelists— Points  of  difference  from  Roman 
Church — Orthodoxy — Essential  doctrines — Need  of  reforma¬ 
tion  .  149-159 

CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  CHURCH. 

Signs  of  reformation — The  Bible — American  missionaries — Clergy¬ 
men — “Oriental  Melanchthon,”  Revs.  Goodell  and  Bird— Mis¬ 
sionaries  at  Constantinople — Romish  opposition— Armenian 
opposition — A  young  martyr— Liberty  granted — Bishop  Mat- 
teos’s  conduct — First  Evangelical  Armenian  Church— Other 


8 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


Churches — Protestant  community — Rapid  progress — Dr.  Cyrus 
Hamlin  and  the  Crimean  war — Futile  promises  of  the  Porte — 
Statistics — Bible — Its  power — Hinderances— Reports — Martyr¬ 
dom  of  Avedis  and  Sahag — Schools — Scholars — Statistics — 
Influence  of  schools — Governmental  opposition — Restrictions — 
Missionaries — Their  work — Publications — Missions  in  Persia — 
Teheran — Hamadan — Tabriz — Rev.  S.  G.  Wilson’s  school — 
Girls’  school — Scholars — Medical  missionary  work — The  need 
for  medical  missionaries . 160-203 

APPENDIX. 

INSCRIPTIONS  OF  ARMENIA. 

(Translated  by  Professor  A.  H.  Sayce,  of  Oxford,  England.) 

Inscription  of  Sarduris  I. — Inscription  of  Ispuinis — Regulations  of 
sacrifices  to  the  gods — Inscriptions  of  Menuas — Inscriptions  of 
Argistis — Inscription  of  Sarduris  II. — Inscriptions  of  Rusas — 
Inscription  of  Xerxes,  the  Persian  king — Hatti  Humayoun 
of  1856 . 205-220 


PREFACE. 


A  little  over  ten  and  a  half  years  ago  the  author  of 
this  volume  landed  at  the  city  of  New  York,  without 
means  or  friends,  but  with  an  imperfect  knowledge  of 
some  English  words.  His  sole  purpose  for  coming  into 
this  country  was  to  prepare  for  the  Christian  ministry, 
to  which  end  he  had  devoted  several  years’  study  in 
Marsovan,  Asia  Minor. 

After  the  unimagined,  touching,  and  romantic  experi¬ 
ences  of  six  months  in  the  city  and  State  of  New  York, 
a  good  Providence  led  him  to  meet  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  H. 
J.  Van  Lennep,  of  Great  Barrington,  Mass.,  by  whose 
direction  and  kindness  he  went  to  Wheaton  College, 
Wheaton,  Ill.,  where  he  studied  two  years. 

By  the  kind  suggestion  of  Dr.  Van  Lennep  he  came 
to  Princeton,  N.  J.,  and  there  entered  the  Theological 
Seminary. 

It  was  his  great  delight  there  to  meet  the  late  Rev. 
Dr.  A.  A.  Hodge,  then  Professor  of  Theology  in  the 
Seminary,  whose  kindness  as  a  friend  and  influence  as 
an  exemplary  Christian  instructor  are  indelibly  written 
upon  the  heart  and  character  of  the  author,  who  took  a 
great  interest  in  him.  He  enjoyed  the  confidence  and 
friendship  both  of  his  professors  and  fellow-students  in 

(9) 


IO 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


an  unusual  degree.  Rev.  Dr.  A.  A.  Hodge,  in  recom¬ 
mending  him  to  some  of  the  leading  ministers  of  New 
York,  wrote  from  Princeton,  N.  J.,  May  5th,  1886  : — 

“  Mr.  Gabrielian  is  a  native  of  Armenia,  a  candidate 
for  the  ministry  under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery  of 
New  Brunswick.  He  has  the  respect  and  confidence  of 
his  professors  and  fellow-students  in  a  very  unusual  de¬ 
gree.  He  is  intelligent,  diligent,  studious,  pious,  mod¬ 
est,  honest,  frank,  and  entirely  reliable.  He  is  decidedly 
and  in  all  respects  the  best  of  foreign  students  we  have 
had  for  years.” 

Pie  graduated  “with  credit  at  Princeton  Theological 
Seminary”  in  1888,  and  with  the  hope  of  soon  returning 
to  his  native  land  he  has  been  ordained  by  the  Presby¬ 
tery  of  New  Brunswick.  But  some  circumstances  and  a 
deep  conviction  of  the  importance  of  a  medical  knowl¬ 
edge  in  his  future  work,  both  as  a  means  of  finding  access 
to  all  classes  of  people  and  of  doing  good,  led  him  to 
take  a  full  medical  course  at  Jefferson  Medical  College 
of  this  city,  which  course  he  has  completed  this  spring, 
and  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine . 

Meanwhile  the  Turkish  government,  always  hostile 
to  Christian  civilization,  has  grown  worse  and  worse. 
The  Kurds,  the  Circassians,  the  Turks,  and  officials,  en¬ 
couraged  by  the  attitude  of  the  government,  have  reached 
the  height  of  injustice,  cruelty,  and  barbarism. 

The  author,  not  being  indifferent  to  the  condition  of 
his  people,  but  as  one  suffering  with  them,  has  taken  great 
pains  in  gathering  such  authentic  facts  to  bring  them  to 
the  attention  of  the  friends  of  Christianity  and  humanity, 
who  will  undoubtedly  take  great  interest  in  these  down- 


PREFACE. 


I  I 

trodden  sons  and  daughters  of  Ararat,  and  lend  their 
sympathy  and  help  to  ameliorate  their  condition  and 
hasten  their  emancipation  from  the  iron  yoke  of  the 
“  unspeakable  Turk.” 

In  order  to  make  the  work  the  more  interesting  and 
instructive  in  giving  a  general  and  brief  outline  of  the 
history  of  the  people,  their  past  and  present  condition, 
no  pains  have  been  spared  in  consulting  the  ancient  and 
modern,  native  and  foreign,  historians  of  note. 

The  last  chapter,  on  Missions,  from  the  beginning  to 
the  present  time,  is  the  longest  chapter,  but  by  no  means 
an  adequate  account  of  that  grand  work.  It  is  given  in 
a  very  succinct  manner. 

The  author’s  thanks  are  due  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Judson 
Smith,  Secretary  of  the  American  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions,  who  has  so  kindly  furnished  him  with  the 
Annual  Reports  of  the  Board,  to  which  free  references 
have  been  made. 

In  regard  to  the  style  and  language  of  the  book,  no 
one  can  be  more  deeply  conscious  of  its  defects  than  the 
author  himself.  But  if  the  esteemed  reader  will  imagine 
the  condition  and  circumstances  under  which  this  work 
has  been  prepared,  his  criticism  might  be  a  little  modi¬ 
fied. 

The  grateful  acknowledgments  of  the  author  are  also 
due  to  the  friends  who  assisted  him  and  encouraged  the 
publication  of  this  work.  May  the  Lord  bless  and 
make  it  the  means  of  advancing  His  Kingdom  and  liber¬ 
ating  His  oppressed  creatures. 

Philadelphia,  Pa.,  July,  1892. 


CHAPTER  I. 

ARMENIA. 

The  student  of  the  Bible  will  find  a  great  delight  in 
perusing  any  biblical  and  historical  work,  for  the  dis¬ 
coveries  of  the  Assyrian,  Babylonian,  Egyptian,  Moab- 
itish,  and  Persian  monuments  and  tablets,  with  the  de¬ 
cipherment  of  their  cuneiform  inscriptions,  have  verified 
much  of  biblical  narrative,  satisfied  the  honest  doubting 
minds,  and  silenced  the  idle  cavilers.  Armenia,  indeed, 
does  not  equally  rank  with  these  countries  in  the  im¬ 
portance  of  its  discoveries,  or  in  its  immediate  relation 
to  the  land  of  the  Israelites.  Yet  Armenia  played  an 
important  role  in  the  drama  of  the  history  of  Western 
Asia  in  the  past,  and  who  can  tell  what  she  may  still  do 
in  the  future. 

Moreover,  Armenia  was  the  cradle  of  the  human  race, 
the  home  of  infant  humanity,  and  the  history  of  the 
human  race  begins  from  Armenia.  It  has  also  sources 
of  information  in  its  ruined  cities  non-exhumed,  castles, 
caves,  and  in  the  old  monasteries.  And  when  this  in¬ 
formation  is  gathered  and  compiled  it  will  shed  a  great 
deal  of  light  upon  many  historical  subjects,  both  sacred 
and  secular. 

The  country  of  Armenia  lies  directly  north  of  the 
Mesopotamian  plain.  It  is  a  mountainous  country,  and 

(13) 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


contains  all  of  the  great  river  resources  of  Western  Asia. 
The  Euphrates,  the  Tigris,  the  Araxes,  the  Cyrus  (Kur), 
the  Acampsis,  and  the  Halys  take  their  rise  in  the  high¬ 
lands  of  Armenia,  and  flow  into  three  different  seas, 
fertilizing  the  subjacent  countries  through  which  they 
run.  Armenia  is  well  likened  to  Switzerland  in  its 
relation  to  the  western  part  of  Asia,  as  the  latter  is  to 
Western  Europe. 

Its  boundaries  have  varied  at  different  times.  Accord¬ 
ing  to  the  native  historians,  the  country  reached  its 
greatest  extent  under  the  administrations  of  the  kings, 
Aram  and  Tigranes  II.  The  former  drove  out  the 
Babylonian  and  the  Median  invaders,  and  enlarged  his 
territories  by  the  annexation  of  a  large  portion  of  Asia 
Minor  to  his  dominions.  According  to  some  authori¬ 
ties,  the  neighboring  nations  began  to  call  the  country 
Aramia,  which  in  the  lapse  of  time  was  changed  to 
Armenia. 

On  the  north,  Armenia  reached  almost  to  the  Cau¬ 
casian  Mountains ;  on  the  west,  the  Black  Sea  and  Asia 
Minor.  Mesopotamia  lay  on  the  south,  the  upper  part 
of  which  was  included  in  the  Armenian  provinces,  “  the 
Nairi  ”  of  the  cuneiform  inscriptions.  On  the  east,  the 
Caspian  Sea  and  Media  bounded  Armenia.*  In  the 
time  of  Herodotus,  Armenia  must  have  been  about  five 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  east  to  west,  and  about  two 

*  Pliny  agrees  with  the  Armenian  historians  in  bringing  the  east¬ 
ern  boundary  to  the  Caspian  Sea,  and  Herodotus  makes  Armenia 
to  border  on  Cappadocia  and  Cilicia  on  the  west,  stating  that 
“this  stream  (the  Halys  River)  rises  in  the  mountain  country  of 
Armenia.” 


ARMENIA. 


15 


hundred  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  north  to 
south.  The  country  was  divided  into  two  parts,  namely, 
Armenia  Major  and  Armenia  Minor;  the  latter  lay  to 
the  west  of  the  Euphrates,  the  former  was  again  divided 
into  fifteen  provinces. 

Armenia  is  a  highland  from  four  thousand  to  seven 
thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  Its  surface  is 
undulating,  with  beautiful  dells  and  hills,  with  fertile  val¬ 
leys  and  forest-covered  mountains,  with  fecundant  and 
extensive  plains  and  pasture  lands,  and  lofty  snow-capped 
mountains  with  glittering  snowy  peaks  piercing  the  clear, 
blue  sky.  The  highest  mountain  of  Western  Asia  is 
situated  at  the  centre  of  Armenia.  It  is  Mount  Masis 
of  the  natives,  and  Mount  Ararat  of  the  Europeans, 
which  is  of  unsurpassed  beauty,  magnificence,  and  grand¬ 
eur.  No  traveler  has  yet  ever  seen  it  and  not  spoken 
of  it  in  admiration.  “  The  impression  made  by  Ararat 
upon  the  mind  of  every  one  who  has  any  sensibility  of 
the  stupendous  works  of  the  Creator  is  wonderful  and 
overpowering,  and  many  a  traveler  of  genius  and  taste 
has  employed  both  the  power  of  the  pen  and  of  the 
pencil  in  attempting  to  portray  this  impression,  but  the 
consciousness  that  no  description,  no  representation, 
can  reach  the  sublimity  of  the  object  thus  attempted  to 
be  depicted  must  prove  to  the  candid  mind  that,  whether 
we  address  the  ear  or  eye,  it  is  difficult  to  avoid  the 
poetic  in  expression  and  exaggerated  in  form,  and  con¬ 
fine  ourselves  strictly  within  the  bounds  of  consistency 
and  truth.”* 


*  “Journey  to  Ararat,”  page  146. 


1 6 


THE  ARMENIANS 


“  Nothing  can  be  more  beautiful  than  its  shape,  more 
awful  than  its  height.  All  the  surrounding  mountains 
sink  into  insignificance  when  compared  to  it.  It  is  per¬ 
fect  in  all  its  parts ;  no  hard,  rugged  feature,  no  unnat¬ 
ural  prominence ;  everything  is  in  harmony,  and  all 
combined  to  render  it  one  of  the  sublimest  objects  in 
nature.” 


MOUNT  MASIS  (ARARAT). 


Mount  Masis  (Ararat)  is  situated  on  a  wide  and  fertile 
plain,  which  is  watered  by  the  Araxes  with  its  tributaries. 
This  river  traverses  the  plain,  running  on  the  north  of 
the  mountain,  and  fertilizes  the  plain,  which  is  dotted  by 
numerous  villages.  This  plain  is,  in  fact,  a  plateau,  about 
seven  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The 


ARMENIA. 


17 

mountain  still  rises  over  ten  thousand  feet  higher  than 
the  plain,  thus  making  the  total  height  of  it  over  seven¬ 
teen  thousand  feet  from  the  sea  level.  It  is,  therefore, 
perpetually  covered  with  snow  and  ice,  that  dazzles  in 
splendor  the  eyes  of  the  spectator.* 

Mount  Masis  (Ararat)  and  other  mountains  have  been 
visited  at  times  by  violent  earthquakes  and  eruptions. 
Though  Mount  Masis  itself  is  formed  of  volcanic  rocks, 
no  record  of  its  volcanic  activities  is  preserved  for  us  by 
the  ancients.  However,  a  German  traveler  makes  men¬ 
tion  of  his  seeing  a  terrifying  sight  more  than  a  century 
ago,  and  says :  “  Some  distant  southern  volcanoes,  or 
Ararat  itself  (the  terrible  gorge  of  which,  distant  from 
Caucasus  in  a  straight  line  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles, 
one  can  hardly  look  at  without  shuddering,  and  which, 
on  the  13th  of  January  and  22d  of  February,  1783,  began 
again  to  throw  out  smoke  and  fire),  must  have  burned 
the  top  of  Caucasus,  and  thrown  upon  it  those  mineral 
ashes." 

In  the  year  1840,  on  the  20th  of  June,  a  terrible  earth¬ 
quake  shook  the  foundation  of  the  mighty  mountain. 
The  monastery  of  St.  James  and  the  village  of  Aicuri 
were  buried  in  the  ruins,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  vil¬ 
lage,  about  one  thousand  in  number,  were  buried  alive. 
The  towns  of  Nakhjevan  and  Erevan  did  not  escape  the 
calamity.  In  both  of  these  towns  hundreds  of  houses 
were  thrown  down  and  thousands  of  human  beings 

*Sir  Layard  saw  the  mountain  from  a  distance  of  about  one 
hundred  and  forty-five  miles  on  the  south  side  of  it,  and  a  German 
traveler  from  the  Caucasian  mountains  on  the  north,  a  distance  of 
one  hundred  and  fifty  miles. 


i8 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


unexpectedly,  within  a  few  minutes,  were  swept  out  of 
their  earthly  existence. 

Undoubtedly  must  such  calamities  have  been  repeated 
in  the  past,  but  we  are  not  informed  concerning  them  by 
the  ancient  writers.  But  sad  it  is  still  to  hear  such  news 
as  the  following  : — 

“Paris,  May  17th  (1891). — The  Dix-N envieme  Siecle 
states  that  commercial  advices  have  been  received  at 
Marseilles  from  Trebizond  to  the  effect  that  a  new  vol¬ 
cano  has  appeared  in  Armenia  at  the  summit  of  Mount 
Nimrod,  in  the  District  of  Van,  vomiting  forth  flames 
and  lava.  The  villages  at  the  base  of  the  mountain  have 
been  destroyed,  and  many  persons  are  said  to  have  been 
killed  or  injured.  The  fugitives  are  camping  outside  the 
range  of  destruction.  They  are  almost  entirely  desti¬ 
tute,  and  the  greatest  misery  prevails  among  them.” 

The  earliest  name  of  Armenia,  by  which  it  was  known 
to  the  ancient  Hebrew  and  Assyrian  writers,  was  Ararat. 
We  are  told,  in  connection  with  the  Deluge,  that  when 
the  waters  of  the  great  flood  subsided  “  the  ark  ”  of 
Noah  “  rested  upon  the  mountains  of  Ararat.”  The 
language  of  the  Bible  is  both  accurate  and  precise.  Not 
upon  Mount  Ararat ,  as  it  is  generally  and  incorrectly 
said  and  written  by  many,  but  upon  the  mountains  of 
Ararat. 

The  author  of  the  book  of  Genesis  is  accurate  in  his 
expression  and  precise  in  his  knowledge  of  the  fact  that 
Ararat  is  the  name  of  the  country  upon  whose  mount¬ 
ains  the  tempest-tossed  vessel  of  the  patriarch  rested. 
Whether  his  knowledge  was  the  result  of  Divine  inspira¬ 
tion,  or  as  a  historical  fact  preserved  and  handed  down 


ARMENIA. 


T9 


to  the  author’s  time,  we  cannot  tell.  The  accuracy  of 
the  statement,  however,  which  stood  the  criticisms  of 
centuries,  and  especially  this  age  of  criticism,  has  a 
rightful  claim  to  its  acceptance  by  all. 

The  following  is  a  specimen  of  such  absurdities  and 
blunders  so  often  ignorantly,  or  by  carelessness  com¬ 
mitted  : — 

A  traveler,  well  known  in  this  country,  writes  to  one 
of  the  leading  daily  papers  as  follows  :  “  At  daylight  we 
were  in  a  broad,  flat  valley  lying  between  the  greater  and 
lesser  Caucasus.  The  latter,  to  our  south,  lifted,  not  far 
off,  from  twelve  to  fifteen  thousand  feet,  and  were  clothed 
in  snow.  In  the  far  distance  were  others.  I  saw  a  sharp, 
conical  burnished  peak,  which  I  took  to  be  Ararat.  I 
could  not  help  thinking  what  a  hard  time  the  mighty 
line  of  living  things  had  when  marching  by  twos,  male 
and  female,  from  those  cold,  bleak  heights  down  into 
the  plains  below,  after  the  great  flood  had  subsided  ;  and 
what  a  time  good  old  Noah  must  have  had  to  keep 
some  of  his  warm-blooded  pets  from  freezing  on  that 
lofty  sixteen-thousand-feet-high  pinnacle.  What  a  pity 
our  theologians  do  not  boldly  preach  that  the  Bible  is 
a  mighty  system  of  truth,  but  that  its  truths  come  to 
us  clothed  in  Oriental  legend  and  fable — that  the  truth 
is  there,  pure  and  undefiled,  as  the  grain  is  pure  and 
uncontaminated  by  the  chaff  in  which  it  is  housed — 
instead  of  trying  to  make  a  reasoning  world  swallow 
the  chaff  for  solid  kernels.” 

Undoubtedly  our  honorable  traveler  will  claim  to 
belong  to  that  “  reasoning  world  ”  of  which  he  speaks. 
But  if  all  who  make  up  that  “  reasoning  world  ”  will 


20 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


reason  as  he  does,  namely,  to  take  that  erroneous  expres¬ 
sion  of  the  common  people,  and  call  that  highest  mountain 
peak — which  is  over  seventeen  thousand  feet  from  the 
sea-level — Mount  Ararat,  and  add  to  this  error,  or  com¬ 
paratively  a  modern  designation,  another,  namely,  that 
the  ark  of  Noah  rested  upon  this  mountain,  then  turn 
around  and  condemn  the  Bible  as  an  “  Oriental  legend 
and  fable,”  it  must  be  said  that  this  kind  of  “  reasoning” 
of  the  so-called  “  reasoning  world  ”  is  absurdity,  and  not 
reasoning  at  all. 

Ararat  is  mentioned  in  three  other  books  of  the  Old 
Testament,  beside  the  above,  in  connection  with  the 
flood  :  II.  Kings  xix.  3 7  ;  Isaiah  xxxvii.  38,  and  Jeremiah 
li.  27.  None  of  these  passages  speaks  of  it  as  a  mountain, 
but  as  a  country.  The  first  two  passages,  identical 
in  import,  speak  of  the  escape  of  Adrammelech  and 
Sharezer  “into  the  land  of  Ararat,”  after  having  com¬ 
mitted  the  crime  of  assassinating  their  own  father, 
Sennacherib. 

The  prophet  Jeremiah  summons  the  forces  of  Armenia 
to  combine  with  the  Medes  to  overthrow  Babylon,  in 
these  words  :  “  Set  ye  up  a  standard  in  the  land,  blow  the 
trumpet  among  the  nations,  prepare  the  nations  against 
her  (Babylon).  Call  together  against  her  the  kingdoms 
of  Ararat,  Minni,  and  Ashchenaz.  *  *  * 

“  Prepare  against  her  the  nations  with  the  kings  of 
the  Medes.”  (li.,  27,  28.) 

The  following  is  from  an  inscription  of  Assur-Natsir- 
Pal,  the  king  of  Assyria,  and  the  date  of  his  reign  is 
assigned  by  Professor  Sayce  from  B.  C.  883  to  B.  C.  858  : 
“  The  cities  of  Khatu,  Khotaru,  Nistun,  Irbidi,  Mitqia, 


ARMENIA. 


21 


Arzania,  Tela  (and)  Khalua,  the  cities  of  Qurkhi,  which 
in  sight  of  the  mountains  of  U’su,  Arua  (and)  Arardhi, 
mighty  mountains,  are  situated  I  captured.”  Professor 
Sayce-  remarks  that  “Arardhi  seems  to  be  the  earliest 
form  of  Urardhu  (of  later  Assyrian  inscriptions),  the 
Biblical  Ararat.”  (Records  of  the  Past,  vol.  2,  page  140.) 
These  passages  from  the  Bible  and  the  Assyrian  inscrip¬ 
tion  show,  beyond  doubt,  that  Ararat  was  the  earliest 
name  of  Armenia,  and  it  was  not  the  name  of  a  mountain  ; 
and  finally,  that  the  ark  of  Noah  rested  upon  the_ 
mountains  of  Ararat  or  Armenia.  Thus  the  history  of 
the  human  race  began  anew  from  the  land  of  Ararat. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  great  rivers  of  Western  Asia 
take  their  origin  from  the  highlands  of  Armenia.  The 
river  Acampsis  of  the  ancients,  identified  by  some  with  the 
Pison  of  the  Bible,  has  its  sources  from  the  southwest  oi 
Erzerum.  It  receives  several  streams,  and  with  beautiful 
windings  flows  into  the  Black  Sea.  About  the  Araxes, 
according  to  some  the  Gihon  of  the  Bible,  there  is  an 
interesting  statement  in  an  Armenian  history:  “  Aramais 
(king  of  Armenia)  built  a  city  of  hewn  stone  on  a  small 
eminence  in  the  plain  of  Aragay,  and  near  the  bank  of  a 
river  before  mentioned,  which  had  received  the  name  of 
Gihon.  The  new  city,  which  afterwards  became  the 
capital  of  his  kingdom,  he  called  Armavir,  after  his  name, 
and  the  name  of  the  river  he  changed  to  Arax,  after  his 
son  Arast.”  The  river  Araxes  is  fed  and  swollen  by 
many  streams,  rivulets,  and  brooks,  which  run  from  the 
sides  of  numerous  glens,  through  picturesque  ravines, 
and  mingle  with  it.  Along  its  tortuous  course  it  carries 
a  great  fertility,  and  finally  mingles  with  no  less  than  the 


22 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


famous  river  Cyrus  (Kur),  and  pours  itself  into  the  bosom 
of  the  Caspian  Sea. 

The  two  other  rivers  of  Armenia  are  the  Euphrates 
and  Tigris,  whose  identity  with  those  mentioned  in  con¬ 
nection  with  the  Garden  of  Eden  is  beyond  doubt.  Both 
of  these  rivers  take  also  their  origin  from  the  highlands 
of  Armenia.  The  Euphrates,  from  the  springs  which  are 
not  very  far  from  Mount  MasLs  (Ararat,  so-called)  takes 
a  westward  course  along  the  Taurus  mountain  chain  on 
the  northern  side  of  the  mountain.  Near  Malatiyeh  the 
river  turns  towards  the  southeast  and  approaches  the 
source  of  the  Tigris,  but  within  a  few  miles  distance 
From  this  point  onward,  with  a  southeasterly  course, 
these  rivers  flow,  and  finally  they  unite  and  pour  into 
the  Persian  Gulf. 

The  student  of  the  ancient  Babylonian  and  Assyrian 
history  and  civilization  knows  what  fertility  these  rivers 
carried  along  their  course  through  the  Mesopotamian 
plain,  and  how,  with  numerous  canals  and  channels,  they 
irrigated  the  land  of  the  great  empires  and  became  the 
means  of  commercial  intercourse  with  the  neighboring 
nations. 

The  claim  of  Armenia  to  the  possession  within  its 
bosom  of  the  Garden  of  Eden  ought  not  to  be  disputed. 
No  country,  indeed,  has  attempted  to  contend  with  Ar¬ 
menia  for  this  honor.  Her  natural  beauty,  salubrious 
climate,  her  exuberant  fertility,  the  fragrance  of  her 
flowers,  the  variety  of  her  singing  birds,  above  all,  her 
mountainous  bosom  and  overflowing  breasts  from  which 
the  mighty  waters  run  down  on  her  sides  and  fill  the 
great  channels  of  those  rivers,  which  fertilize  the  subjacent 


ARMENIA. 


23 

countries  and  replenish  the  three  adjacent  seas ;  all 
these  do  justify  her  claim,  and  render  it  almost  a  histor¬ 
ical  fact  that  Armenia  was  the  cradle  of  infant  human- 
ity.  “  Ancient  traditions  place  the  province  of  Eden  in 
this  highest  portion  of  Armenia,  anciently  called  Ara¬ 
rat,  and  it  appears  to  furnish  all  the  conditions  of  the 
Mosaic  narrative.”* 

If  variety  makes  beauty  Armenia  furnishes  such  a 
variety,  making  her  one  of  the  most  beautiful  countries 
in  the  world  ;  not  only  has  she  those  gigantic  mountains 
with  their  snow-crowned  heads  looking  down  upon  the 
clouds  that  envelop  their  skirts  while  they  mock  at  the 
ambient  air  and  the  winds,  not  only  has  she  hundreds 
of  murmuring  streams  and  rippling  brooks  gliding 
along  the  sides  of  thousands  of  hills,  which  swell  those 
kingly  rivers  and  cause  them  to  overflow  their  banks ; 
but  she  also  has  some  beautiful  lakes,  like  jewels  set  in 
their  respective  caskets.  The  lake  of  Sevan,  which  lies 
between  the  Araxes  and  the  Cyrus,  occupying  the  cen¬ 
tre  of  a  fertile  plain  of  northern  part  of  Armenia,  is 
called  “Sweet  Lake,”  in  contradistinction  to  the  others, 
which  are  salt-water  lakes.  Lake  Sevan,  near  the  city 
of  Erevan,  is  now  in  the  Russian  provinces  of  Armenia. 
The  lake  of  Ormi,  or  Orumiah,  lies  in  the  southern  part 
of  the  country,  now  in  the  Persian  provinces  of  Ar¬ 
menia.  These  lakes,  and  some  others,  are  surrounded 
by  romantic  views  and  poetic  scenery,  but  the  lake  of 
Van,  surpassing  them  in  size,  in  importance,  and  splen¬ 
dor,  causes  us  with  her  to  linger  a  little  longer. 


*“  Bible  Lands,”  page  21.  Van  Lennep. 


24 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


The  area  of  Lake  Van  is  about  fourteen  hundred 
square  miles  ;  its  surface  is  over  five  thousand  feet  high 
above  the  level  of  the  sea.  It  is  embosomed  at  the  cen¬ 
tre  of  a  verdant  and  rich  plain,  which  plain  also  is  en¬ 
circled  by  an  exceedingly  beautiful,  romantic,  undula¬ 
ting  mountain-chain,  which  culminates  on  the  north  in 
the  sublime  monarch  of  mountains  of  Western  Asia, 
Mount  Masis  (Ararat). 

The  beauty  of  Lake  Van  and  its  surroundings  always 
did  and  will  more  intensely  enchant  the  poets  and  ar¬ 
tists  who  are  more  fortunate  and  enjoy  the  beauty  of 
nature  more  than  the  rest  of  us.  The  following  is  the 
language  of  a  distinguished  explorer:  “A  range  of  low 
hills  now  separated  us  from  the  plain  and  lake  of  Van 
We  soon  reached  their  crest  and  a  landscape  of  surpass¬ 
ing  beauty  was  before  us.  At  our  feet,  intensely  blue 
and  sparkling  in  the  rays  of  the  sun,  was  the  inland  sea, 
with  the  sublime  peak  of  the  Subban  Dagh  (mountain) 
mirrored  in  its  transparent  waters.  The  city  (of  Van), 
with  its  castle-crowned  rock  and  its  embattled  walls  and 
towers,  lay  embowered  in  orchards  and 'gardens.  To  our 
right  a  rugged  snow-capped  mountain  opened  midway 
into  an  amphitheatre,  in  which,  amid  lofty  trees,  stood  the 
Armenian  Convent  of  Seven  Churches.  To  the  west  of 
the  lake  was  the  Nimrod  Dagh,  and  the  highlands  nourish¬ 
ing  the  sources  of  the  great  rivers  of  Mesopotamia.  The 
hills  forming  the  foreground  of  our  picture  were  carpeted 
with  the  brightest  flowers,  over  which  wandered  the  flocks, 
while  the  gaily  dressed  shepherds  gathered  around  as  we 
halted  to  contemplate  the  enchanting  scene.”* 


*Layard’s  “  Nineveh  and  Babylon,”  pages  333-4. 


ARMENIA. 


25 


Many  a  scene  like  the  above  has  enchanted  the  for¬ 
eign  traveler  and  inspired  the  native  authors  and  poets, 
and  caused  the  wandering,  expatriated  sons  and  daugh¬ 
ters  of  Armenia  to  remember  her  former  majestic  beau¬ 
ty  and  splendor,  but  marred  by  the  vicissitudes  of  the 
ages,  and  especially  under  the  iron  heel  of  the  present 
tyrant,  her  indescribable  misery,  and  weep  like  Jere¬ 
miah  :  “  Mine  eye  runneth  down  with  rivers  of  water 
for  the  destruction  of  the  daughter  of  my  people.” 
(Lamentations  iii.  48.) 

It  might  easily  have  been  understood  that  the  climate 
of  Armenia  cannot  be  mild  in  winter  on  account  of  the 
altitude  of  the  country,  which  is  from  four  thousand  to 
seven  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  In  gen¬ 
eral  it  is  very  healthy,  but  in  winter  the  cold  is  severe, 
and  it  lasts  from  the  middle  of  October  until  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  May. 

In  the  valleys  the  weather  is  a  good  deal  milder  and 
very  pleasant.  The  summer  is  short,  but  warm ;  this 
especially  is  so  in  certain  valleys,  which  are  far  away 
from  the  reach  of  the  sea  breeze,  too  much  inclosed  by 
high  mountains  and  too  deep  for  the  mountain  breeze. 
The  length  of  the  winter  should  not  mislead  the  reader, 
for  neither  is  it  uniformly  long  nor  is  the  degree  of  cold 
weather  the  same  all  over  the  country. 

Such  a  variety  of  climate  combined  with  a  naturally 
fertile  soil  will  produce  a  vegetation  rich  in  quantity 
and  splendid  in  quality.  There  are,  indeed,  a  very  few 
x  large  forest  and  timber  lands  left  on  account  of  their 
being  inaccessible  to  the  people  and  for  want  of  good 
roads.  The  government  is  entirely  indifferent,  both  in 


26 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


cultivating  or  protecting  the  people  who  would  culti¬ 
vate  such  forest  trees  for  the  two-fold  use  of  them  as 
timber  and  fuel.  Consequently  the  people  suffer  very 
much  for  the  want  of  these;  especially  is  this  true  in 
certain  districts. 

But  such  vegetations  as  wheat,  barley,  cotton,  tobacco, 
and  grapes  are  almost  unexcelled  in  quality,  although 
they  are  cultivated  with  very  rude  instruments  and  un¬ 
der  many  disadvantages  and  difficulties.  Almost  all 
the  fruits,  and  such  vegetables  raised  in  gardens  com¬ 
mon  in  this  country,  are  in  the  list  of  the  products  of 
Armenia. 

The  fertility  of  the  country  is  unquestionable  when 
we  remember  the  fact,  that  not  only  the  country  is  very 
old  and  therefore  more  or  less  would  naturally  decline 
in  its  productivity,  but  the  method  of  cultivation  itself 
is  also  very  old,  started  by  Adam,  Noah,  and  their 
immediate  descendants,  compelled  by  the  necessities  of 
life. 

It  has  been  said  that  ancient  traditions  place  the 
province  of  Eden  in  Armenia.  Such  a  statement  itself 
might  have  aroused  an  expectation  in  the  mind  of  the 
reader  to  know  something  about  the  environment  and 
conditions  which  will  give  a  paradisiacal  aspect  to  a 
place.  The  flowers  of  Armenia  will,  not  a  little,  con¬ 
tribute  to  this  aspect,  which,  though  growing  wild  and 
uncultivated,  are  of  rare  beauty,  fragrance,  and  hue,  and 
hardly  known  to  the  Europeans  and  Americans. 

The  writer  well  remembers  his  going  out  into  the 
fields  with  the  missionary  of  his  native  place,  who  was 
eagerly  digging  up  some  of  these  flowers  to  send  them 


ARMENIA. 


27 


to  his  friends  in  England  while  the  snow  hardly  had 
melted  away  from  the  fields.  “  Some  slight  remains  of 
Paradise  are  left  even  to  our  days  in  the  form  of  the 
most'  lovely  flowers,  which  I  gathered  on  the  very  hill 
from  whence  the  three  rivers  take  their  departure  to 
their  distant  seas.  Though  one  of  them  has  a  Latin 
scientific  name  no  plant  of  it  has  ever  been  in  Europe, 
and  by  no  manner  of  contrivance  could  we  succeed  in 
carrying  one  away.  This  most  beautiful  production 
was  called  in  Latin  Ravanea ,  or  Philipea  coccinea ,  a 
parasite  on  absinthe  or  wormwood.  This  is  the  most 
beautiful  flower  conceivable;  it  is  in  the  form  of  a  lily, 
about  nine  to  twelve  inches  long,  including  the  stalk ; 
the  flower  and  the  stalk  and  all  the  parts  of  it  resem¬ 
ble  crimson  velvet ;  it  has  no  leaves ;  it  is  found  on  the 
side  of  the  mountains  near  Erzerum,  often  in  company 
with  Morans  orientalis,  a  remarkable  kind  of  thistle, 
with  flowers  all  up  the  stalk,  looking  and  smelling  like 
the  honeysuckle.  An  iris,  of  a  most  beautiful  flaming 
yellow,  is  found  among  the  rocks,  and  it,  as  well  as 
all  the  more  beautiful  flowers,  blooms  in  the  spring 
soon  after  the  melting  of  the  snow.”* 

In  regard  to  the  singing  birds  of  Armenia  we  do 
not  attempt  to  say  much,  but.  undoubtedly  must  they 
have  performed  a  noble  service  by  their  melodious 
music  in  that  great  assembly  of  all  creation,  gathered 
to  witness  the  nuptials  of  our  innocent  parents. 

Many  of  the  children  of  Adam  and  Eve,  even  now, 
do  not  have  any  other  musicians  than  the  same.  The 


*“Curzon’s  Armenia,”  page  117. 


28 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


birds,  in  general,  are  numerous,  belonging  to  various 
tribes,  “  which,”  says  the  author  above  quoted,  “  in 
thousands  and  millions,  would  reward  the  toil  of  the 
sportsman  and  the  naturalist  on  the  plains  and  mount¬ 
ains  of  the  highlands  of  Armenia.” 

Nothing  was  more  delightful  and  amusing  to  the 
writer,  when  a  child,  than  to  watch  the  armies  of  birds 
flying  towards  the  north  in  the  spring  or  south  in  the 
autumn  in  a  beautiful  array,  led  by  a  general,  as  it  were, 
until  they  were  lost  out  of  sight  in  the  clear  and  bright 
Oriental  sky ;  nor  even  now  would  it  give  him  little 
delight,  if  it  were  possible,  to  retire  into  one  of  those 
solitary  watchmen’s  cottages  in  the  vineyards  and  or¬ 
chards  of  the  East  and  listen  to  the  most  melodious  an¬ 
thems  of  those  songsters,  who  were  then,  it  seems  to 
him  now,  vying  more  with  each  other  to  render  their 
praises  acceptable  to  their  Creator  than  many  of  our 
noted  singers  in  the  magnificent  churches  and  cath¬ 
edrals  do. 

The  animals  that  are  generally  found  in  a  temperate 
climate  like  the  climate  of  the  Northern  States  are  also 
common  in  Armenia.  In  the  days  of  old  the  Armenian 
horses  were  as  famous  as  are  the  Arabian  horses  now. 
“The  rich  pastures  of  Media  and  Armenia  furnished  ex¬ 
cellent  horses  for  the  Medo-Persian  army.”  (See  also 
Ezekiel  xxvii.  14.) 

The  reader  might  well  have  anticipated  that  a  mount¬ 
ainous  country  might  possess  some  other  valuable  things 
beneath  the  surface.  Such  an  anticipation  is  decidedly 
justifiable  when  we  remember  the  fact  that  the  mines  of 
Armertia  are  rich,  numerous,  and  varied.  Traces  of  old 


ARMENIA. 


29 


gold  mines  are  found  midway  between  Trebizond  and 
Erzerum.  Some  even  think  that  the  locality  of  “  Ophir, 
from  whence  King  Solomon  fetched  gold  to  decorate 
the  temple,  was  in  this  region.  It  may  be  interesting  to 
some  to  mention  that  the  ancient  river  Acampsis,  identi¬ 
fied  by  some  with  the  Pison  of  the  Bible,  “  which  com- 
passeth  the  whole  land  of  Havilah,  where  there  is  gold,” 
does  really  run  through  this  part  of  the  country. 

There  are  very  rich  silver  and  copper  mines  in  the 
vicinity  of  Karpert  (Harpoot);  the  copper  mines  alone 
annually  yield  two  million  two  hundred  and  fifty  thou¬ 
sand  pounds.  There  are  mines  of  sulpher,  sulphuret  of 
lead,  antimony,  and  silver.  The  mines  of  iron  and  coal 
are  found  in  abundance,  but  the  coal  mines  are  entirely 
neglected  and  the  iron  and  other  mines  are  very  poorly 
operated.  There  is  a  little  town  situated-  on  one  of  the 
tributaries  of  the  Euphrates  called  Divrig,  where  the 
writer  spent  some  time  in  the  capacity  of  a  teacher  and 
preacher  for  the  Reformed  Armenian  Church,  and  he 
well  remembers  how  the  people  used  to  easily  avail 
themselves  of  the  native  masses  of  iron  with  primitive 
skill,  converting  them  into  rude  implements  and  tools  for 
farming  or  other  purposes. 

The  mineral  springs,  hot  and  cold,  at  various  places, 
with  their  peculiar  curative  powers,  have  become  the 
“  Bethesdas  ”  of  the  invalids,  and  are  frequented,  like  the 
places  of  pilgrimage,  by  those  who  suffer  any  ailment  and 
are  able  to  repair  to  such  restorative  resorts.  Rock  salt 
and  salt  springs  also  abound  in  Armenia.  They  are  es¬ 
pecially  inexhaustible  in  the  vicinity  of  Moosh.  A  salt 
stream,  whose  springs  are  from  the  salt  rocks,  which 


30 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


would  bring  a  good  income  in  the  hands  of  a  wise  gov¬ 
ernor,  unprofitably  flows  into  and  mingles  with  the 
waters  of  the  Euphrates. 

What  an  immense  wealth  yet  lies  in  the  entrails  of 
Armenia !  A  ruler  that  loves  the  well-being  of  his  sub¬ 
jects,  and  loves  to  know  both  the  condition  of  the  country 
and  of  the  people,  instead  of  struggling  for  existence  in 
extreme  poverty  would  render  both  his  government 
wealthy  and  his  people  happy,  having  in  possession  such 
a  country  as  Armenia  and  other  parts  of  the  empire. 
But  Turkish  rulers  have  been  destitute  in  prudence  and 
have  gloried  in  cruelty,  deceitfulness,  and  exaction. 
Had  the  long-expected  and  delusively-promised  reforms 
of  the  Turkish  government  been  fulfilled,  then  would  we 
have  unfolded  this  wealth  to  the  world. 

Some  of  the  ancient  cities  of  Armenia  are  still  in 
existence,  however,  not  in  their  former  magnificence,  and 
some  are  in  complete  ruins.  Among  the  former,  Van, 
Amid — now  Diarbekir,  Erevan,  Malatiyeh,  Palu,  and 
Manazghert  might  be  mentioned ;  among  the  latter, 
Armavir,  Ardashad,  Valarshabad,  Dicranaghert,  Ani, 
and  others  are  mentioned.  There  are  yet  other  cities, 
some  of  them  not  of  equal  antiquity  with  some  of  the 
above  named,  but  of  great  importance,  both  in  the  past 
and  in  the  present  time.  These  are  Kars,  Erzroom 
or  Erzerum,  Moosh,  Bitlis,  and  Karpert  (Harpoot). 

Armenia  is  now  divided  among  three  powers ;  the 
northern  part  belongs  to  Russia,  the  eastern  part  to 
Persia,  but  the  southern  and  western  part,  which  is 
larger  than  the  other  two,  is  under  the  Turkish  Empire. 
Consequently  some  of  the  cities  mentioned  above  are  in 


ARMENIA. 


31 


the  Russian  provinces  of  Armenia,  but  the  most  of 
them  are  in  Turkish  Armenia. 

The  English  traveler  Sandys,  who  visited  the  Turkish 
Empire  over  two  centuries  and  a  half  ago,  “has  described 
with  truth  and  eloquence  the  unhappy  condition  of  the 
regions  subject  to  its  destructive  despotism  ”  in  the  fol¬ 
lowing  words : — 

“These  countries,  once  so  glorious  and  famous  for 
their  happy  estate,  are  now,  through  vice  and  ingratitude, 
become  the  most  deplorable  spectacles  of  extreme 
misery.  The  wild  beasts  of  mankind  have  broken  in 
upon  them  and  rooted  out  all  civility;  and  the  pride  of 
a  stern  and  barbarous  tyrant,  possessing  the  thrones  of 
ancient  dominion,  who  aims  only  at  the  height  of 
greatness  and  sensuality,  hath  reduced  so  great  and 
goodly  a  part  of  the  world  to  that  lamentable  distress 
and  servitude  under  which  it  now  faints  and  groans. 
Those  rich  lands  at  this  present  time  remain  waste 
and  overgrown  with  bushes,  and  receptacles  of  wild 
beasts,  of  thieves  and  murderers ;  large  territories  dis¬ 
peopled  or  thinly  inhabited ;  goodly  cities  made  deso¬ 
late,  sumptuous  buildings  become  ruins,  glorious  tem¬ 
ples  either  subverted  or  prostituted  to  impiety ;  true 
religion  discountenanced  and  opposed ;  all  nobility 
extinguished ;  no  light  of  learning  permitted,  no  virtue 
cherished ;  violence  and  rapine  exulting  over  all,  and 
leaving  no  security,  save  an  abject  mind  and  unlooked 
on  poverty.”  These  are  the  unhappy  effects  of  the 
Turkish  Empire  on  these  once  so  glorious  and  famous 
countries,  and  after  two  centuries  and  a  half  this  descrip¬ 
tion  is  still  literally  true. 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE  ARMENIANS. 

The  traditions  of  the  Armenians  make  them  to  have 
been  descended  from  Togarmah  of  the  Scriptures :  Gen¬ 
esis  x.  3.  Among  the  Armenian  writers,  calling  the 
people  by  the  appellation  of  “  Torgomian  Doon,”  the 
house  of  Togarmah,  as  also  by  the  prophet  Ezekiel, 
xxvii.  14,  was  and  still  is  very  common. 

Togarmah  is  mentioned  once  in  the  book  of  Genesis 
as  one  of  the  sons  of  Gomer,  who  is  the  son  of  Japheth, 
the  son  of  Noah.  The  prophet  Ezekiel  mentions  this 
name  twice,  but  not  as  a  mere  name  of  the  patriarch,  but 
as  a  nation  descended  from  him,  and  known  by  the  ap¬ 
pellation  “  of  the  house  of  Togarmah.”  The  prophet 
does  this  in  connection  with  other  names  as  representa¬ 
tives  of  different  nations. 

It  is  strange  to  say  that  as  far  as  the  writer  has  been 
able  to  look  up  the  matter  all  the  commentators  on  the 
above  passages  admit  that  “Togarmah  v  and  “the  House 
of  Togarmah”  represent  the  Armenians.  It  seems  to  be 
the  fashion  nowadays  with  some  writers  not  to  agree 
with  others,  nor  even  with  themselves,  but  on  this  point 
their  agreement  is  almost  unanimous.  Here  we  may 
adduce  the  statements  of  one  or  more  distinguished 
writers  on  this  subject:  “The  third  son  of  Gomer  is 

(32) 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


33 


Togarmah ;  the  people  descending  from  him  is  called 
the  house  of  Togarmah — Ezekiel  xxvii.  14 — where  they 
are  named  after  Javan,  Tubel,  and  Meshech,  as  bringing 
horses  and  mules  to  the  mart  of  Tyre;  and  xxxviii.  6, 
where  it  appears  after  Gomer  as  a  component  of 
the  army  of  Gog.  The  Armenians  regarded  Thorgom 
(Togarmah),  the  father  of  Haick,  as  their  ancestor;  and 
even  granting  that  the  form  of  the  name  Thorgom  was 
.occasioned  by  Thorgama  of  the  LXX.  (Septuagint  ver¬ 
sion),  still  the  Armenian  tradition  is  confirmed  by  Til- 
garimmu  being  in  the  cuneiform  inscription  the  name  of 
a  fortified  town  in  the  subsequent  district  of  Melitene 
(Malatiyeh),  on  the  southwestern  boundary  of  Ar¬ 
menia.”* 

“  Togarmah. — The  people  thus  designated  are  men¬ 
tioned  twice  by  Ezekiel ;  in  the  former  passage  as  trad¬ 
ing  in  the  fairs  of  Tyre  with  horses  and  mules,  in  the 
latter  as  about  to  come  with  Gomer  out  of  the  north 
quarter  against  Palestine.  Neither  passage  does  much 
towards  fixing  a  locality,  but  both  agree  with  the  hy¬ 
pothesis,  which  has  the  support  alike  of  etymology  and 
of  national  tradition,  that  the  people  intended  are  the  an¬ 
cient  inhabitants  of  Armenia.  Grimm’s  view  that  Togar¬ 
mah  is  composed  of  two  elements,  Toka ,  which,  in 
Sanskrit  ‘  tribe  ’  or  *  race,’  and  Armah  (Armenia),  may 
well  be  accepted.  The  Armenian  tradition  which  de¬ 
rived  the  Haikian  race  from  Thorgon  (m),  as  it  can 
scarcely  be  a  coincidence,  must  be  regarded  as  having 
considerable  value.  Now,  the  existing  Armenians,  the 


*Delitzsch’s  Commentary  on  Genesis,  volume  I.,  page  310. 


34 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


legitimate  descendants  of  those  who  occupied  the  country 
in  the  time  of  Ezekiel,  speak  a  language  which  modern 
ethnologists  pronounce  to  be  decidedly  Indo-European; 
and  thus,  so  far,  the  modern  science  confirms  the  Scrip¬ 
tural  account.”  * 

This  Armenian  tradition,  which  the  great  scholar  says 
“  must  be  regarded  as  having  considerable  value,”  runs 
something  like  the  following:  About  2350  B.  C.,  Haig, 
the  son  of  Togarmah,  like  the  rest  of  the  descendants  of 
Noah,  was  in  pursuit  of  a  new  location  for  himself  and 
his  posterity,  and  had  descended  with  the  multitude  into 
the  country  of  Shinar  of  Mesopotamia.  Here  the  people, 
for  fear  of  another  destructive  flood,  attempted  to  build  a 
high  tower,  “  the  Tower  of  Babel.”  Haig  and  his  sons 
distinguished  themselves  by  wisdom  and  virtue  in  the 
erection  of  this  tower ;  but  ambitious  Belus,  for  suprem¬ 
acy,  yea,  even  requiring  homage  to  his  image,  became 
too  repulsive  to  virtuous  Haig  and  his  sons.  Haig, 
therefore,  left  the  plains  of  Shinar  with  his  large  family 
and  retraced  back  to  the  home  of  his  nativity,  the  land 
of  Ararat,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  lake  of  Van. 

Belus,  on  hearing  that  Haig  had  withdrawn  from  his 
authority,  pursued  him  with  a  large  force.  Haig,  when 
he  heard  that  Belus  was  coming  against  him,  mustered 
the  male  members  of  his  family  and  those  who  were  will¬ 
ingly  under  his  authority,  and  armed  them  as  well  as  he 
was  able  and  set  out  to  meet  the  enemy.  He  charged 
his  little  army  to  attack  that  part  of  the  enemy’s  force 
where  Belus  commanded  in  person,  “  for,”  said  he,  “  if 


*  “  The  Origin  of  Nations,”  page  183.  By  G.  Rawlinson. 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


35 


we  succeed  in  discomfiting  that  part  the  victory  is  ours; 
should  we,  however,  be  unsuccessful  in  our  attempt  let 
us  never  survive  the  misery  and  disgrace  of  a  defeat,  but 
rather  perish,  sword  in  hand,  defending  the  best  and 
dearest  right  of  reasonable  creatures — our.  liberty.”  Then 
did  the  brave  leader  move  on  with  his  force  and  faced 
the  invaders.  After  a  bloody  conflict  Belus  fell  by  an 
arrow  discharged  at  him  by  Haig.  The  army  of  Belus, 
soon  after  this,  was  dispersed. 

Thus  the  first  battle  for  liberty  the  progenitor  of  the 
Armenians  fought  and  won  for  himself  and  his  posterity. 

The  Armenians,  therefore,  call  themselves  after  his 
name  Haigs ,  and  the  country  Haiasdan. 

Haig,  following  the  manner  of  the  ancient  patriarchs, 
founded  towns  and  villages,  and  after  a  long  life  died  in 
peace. 

Haig  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Armenag — some  think 
Armenia  was  named  after  this  prince.  The  son  and  suc¬ 
cessor  of  Armenag  was  Aramais,  who  built  a  city  of  hewn 
stones,  near  the  banks  of  the  river  Araxes ;  he  named 
the  city  after  himself,  Armavir,  and  made  it  the  capital 
of  the  government. 

The  son  of  Aramais  was  Amassia,  who,  soon  after  the 
decease  of  his  father,  took  the  lead  of  the  government. 
Our  historians  tell  us  that  it  was  Amassia  who  gave  the 
name  Masis,  after  himself,  to  that  magnificent  and  huge 
mountain  (Mount  Ararat  so-called).  Harmah  mounted 
the  throne  of  his  father  Amassia  after  the  latter’s  depart¬ 
ure  from  this  life. 

Aram,  about  2000  B.  C.,  the  son  and  successor  of 
Harmah,  towers  among  the  monarchs  of  the  first  period 


36 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


of  the  Armenian  history ;  he  was,  like  King  David, 
a  great  warrior  and  conqueror.  He  chased  out  the 
Babylonian  and  Median  invaders,  penetrated  into  the 
heart  of  Cappadocia,  and  the  countries  which  he  thus 
subjected  to  the  west  of  the  Euphrates  composed  the 
Armenia  Minor. 

After  the  long  and  glorious  reign  of  Aram  the  coun¬ 
try  slowly  came  into  a  subordinate  condition  to  the  As¬ 
syrian  Empire,  though  the  kings  of  the  Haikian  dynasty 
continued  to  rule  over  Armenia,  but  they  were  very 
much  overshadowed  when  the  Assyrian  Empire  was  at 
the  zenith  of  her  glory. 

It,  however,  should  be  understood  that  Armenia  was 
not  completely  subjugated,  for  every  ruler  of  a  district 
was  a  king  by  himself,  and  on  account  of  the  inaccessi¬ 
bility  of  some  districts  an  entire  subjugation  of  a  coun¬ 
try  like  Armenia  was  an  impossibility  in  those  days. 
Tiglath-Pileser  I.,  the  king  of  Assyria  (i  1 10-1090  B.  C.), 
unconsciously  confesses  in  his  famous  inscription ,  which 
contains  the  most  of  his  great  achievements,  that  some 
of  these  districts  never  knew  subjection. 

“  The  lands  of  Laraus  and  Ammous ,  which  from  the 
days  immemorial  had  not  known  subjection,  like  the 
flood  of  deluge  I  overwhelmed.  With  their  armies  on 
the  mountains  of  Aruma  I  fought,  and  a  destruction  of 
them  I  made.” 

Here  let  us  ask  the  permission  of  the  reader  to  devi¬ 
ate  a  moment  from  continuing  the  history  of  the  Ararat- 
ians,  or  Armenians,  to  give  the  probable  derivation  of 
these  names. 

Aruma  is  mentioned  again  by  Tiglath-Pileser  in  the 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


37 


following  passage  :  “  At  the  mountain  of  Aruma,  a  diffi¬ 
cult  district,  which  for  the  passage  of  my  chariots  was  not 
suited,  I  left  the  chariots,  I  took  the  lead  of  my  soldiers.” 
Now  it  is  very  probable  that  Tiglath-Pileser’s  Aruma 
is  the  same  name  of  the  Aram  of  the  Armenian  histori¬ 
ans,  who  tell  us  that  the  country  was  called  after  the 
name  of  Aram.  It  is  also  not  uncommon  with  the  for¬ 
eigners  to  spell  and  pronounce  differently  the  very  words 
or  names  from  the  natives.  So  Aruma  possibly  is  the 
Semitized  form  of  the  Armenian  Aram.  From  the  fol¬ 
lowing  quotation  from  “The  Cuneiform  Inscriptions  of 
Van,”  by  Prof.  A.  H.  Sayce,  of  Oxford,  England,  also 
will  be  seen  that  Aram  was  not  only  applied  or  used  to 
represent  the  country  by  the  Assyrian  kings,  but  also 
some  kings  of  Armenia  were  known  by  that  name  to 
them. 

“Shalmaneser  II.,  however,  the  son  and  successor  of 
Assur-Natsir-Pal,  seems  to  have  been  the  first  Assyrian 
king  who  actually  came  into  contact  with  Urardhu.* 
He  tells  on  the  Black  Obelisk  (I.,  44)  that  in  his  third 
year  (856  B.  C.),  after  quitting  the  Hittite  city  of  Pethor, 
now  represented  by  Tash-atan,  a  few  miles  south  of  Jera- 
blus  or  Charchemish,  he  overran  Alzu,f  in  the  neighbor¬ 
hood  of  Palu,f  then  Dayaeni  f  and  Nimme,f  and  finally 


*  Professor  Sayce  mistakes,  for  Shalmaneser  was  not  the  first 
Assyrian  king  who  came  into  contact  with  Urardhians.  Tiglath- 
Pileser  I.  claims  to  have  made  an  overthrow  of  “all  the  twenty- 
three  kings  of  the  countries  of  Nairi,”  and  as  we  have  seen,  Assur- 
Natsir-Pal,  Shalmaneser’s  father,  too,  had  come  into  contact  with 
Arardhi.  See  Ararat,  chapter  1,  pages  20  and  21. 
t  These  are  cities  in  Armenia  ;  some  exist  to  this  day. 


38 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


reached  Arzascun,*  ‘the  royal  city  of  Arrame  of  the 
land  of  Urardhians.’  He  next  made  his  way  to  Gozan,* 
and  then  to  Khupuscia*  The  inscription  of  Kurkh 
(twenty  miles  from  Diarbekir)  informs  us  that  Shalman¬ 
eser  had  already,  in  the  year  of  his  accession,  come  in 
conflict  with  Arrame  (or  Arame,  as  the  name  is  there 
written).  After  leaving  the  city  of  Khupuscia,  in  the 
land  of  Nahri,  he  had  attacked  Sugunia,  a  stronghold  of 
Arame,  ‘King  of  Urardhians,’  and  had  then  marched 
to  ‘the*sea  of  the  land  of  Nahri,’  or  Lake  Van,  where 
a  figure  of  himself  and  a  cuneiform  inscription  were 
engraved  on  the  rocks.”  f 

Again  do  we  assert  that  Arame  of  Shalmaneser’s  in¬ 
scription,  Aruma  of  Tiglath-Pileser’s  inscription,  and 
Aram  of  the  Armenian  historians  is  the  same  name, 
while  differences  of  these  three  ways  of  spelling  are  very 
slight,  but  the  intervening  period  between  Tiglath- 
Pileser  and  Shalmaneser  is  two  centuries  and  a  half,  and 
that  of  the  reign  of  Aram,  according  to  the  native  his¬ 
torians  and  Tiglath-Pileser,  is  about  eight  centuries. 

Such  long  intervening  periods  easily  will  account  for 
the  slight  difference  in  spelling  of  the  same  name. 

Shalmaneser  IT.,  in  the  inscription  of  the  Balawat 
Gates,  “  states  (HI.,  23)  that  he  ravaged  the  land  of  Kute, 
‘  from  the  city  of  Arzascun  to  the  country  of  Gozan, 
and  from  Gozan  to  Khupuscia,’  the  context  indicating 
that  this  was  the  tract  of  country  over  which  the  power 
and  influence  of  Aramu,  the  Urardhian  king,  extended.” 


*  These  are  cities  in  Armenia  ;  some  exist  to  this  day. 
f  “Journal  of  Royal  Asiatic  Society,”  volume  XIV.,  page  393. 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


39 


Professor  Sayce  himself  here  gives  another  form  of 
spelling  the  same  name.  There  is  no  force  in  the  ob¬ 
jection  that  Tiglath-Pileser  uses  the  name  Aruma  as  the 
name  of  the  country.*  Shalmaneser  uses  it  as  the  name 
of  a  king.  When  we  remember  that  the  Armenian 
tradition,  handed  down  and  preserved  in  their  history, 
states  that  the  neighboring  nations  called  the  country, 
after  the  name  of  King  Aram — Aramenia,  afterwards 
contracted  into  Armenia,  and  while  the  Armenians  called 
their  country,  after  the  name  of  their  progenitor  Haig, 
Haiasdan,  it  would  not  be  improper  for  any  of  the 
descendants  of  Aram  to  wear  that  name.  It  is  more 
than  possible  that  Arame  of  Shalmaneser  II.  was  a  de¬ 
scendant  of  Aram  of  the  Armenian  historians,  and 
probably  the  last  of  the  Haikian  dynasty,  at  least  in  the 
vicinity  of  Van,  for  Shalmaneser’s  antagonist’s  name 


*  Professor  Rawlinson  accepts  Grimm’s  view  that  Togarmah  is 
composed  of  Toka,  in  Sanskrit  “race”  or  “tribe,”  and  Armah 
(Armenia).  Now,  this  may  be  the  same  name  also.  Aram, 
Aruma,  Armah,  Arame,  Aramu— these  different  ways  of  spelling 
are  not  serious  objections  when  we  remember  that  these  are  done 
by  entirely  different  people  or  nations.  It  is  very  easy  for  a  name 
to  undergo  great  changes  in  the  hands  of  different  people.  Arame, 
taking  the  suffix  ni  or  na,  will  be  Arameni  or  Aramena.  Professor 
Sayce  explains  the  function  of  these  suffixes  of  Vannic  language 
as  follows:  “Side  by  side  with  this  suffix  ni  we  find  another 
adjectival  suffix  na ,  which  has  what  may  be  termed  a  territorial 
sense.  Khaldi-nas  means  ‘  belonging  to  the  land  of  Khaldis,’  as 
opposed  to  Khaldinis,  ‘belonging  to  Khaldis.’  ”  Arameni,  when 
it  is  contracted,  will  be  Armeni.  If  some  doubted  whether  it 
ought  to  be  Armeni  or  Armena,  and  added  both  of  these  suffixes, 
then  we  would  have  it  as  it  is— Armenia.  So  much  change  might 
have  been  effected  by  Vannic  literature. 


40 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


changes  after  his  invading  Armenia  once  more.  “  Shal¬ 
maneser,  in  his  fifteenth  year  (of  his  reign),  was  again  in 
the  same  region.  After  setting  up  an  image  of  himself 
at  the  sources  of  the  Tigris,  he  marched  into  the  low¬ 
lands  of  the  country  of  Dhunibun,  and  there  destroyed 
‘  the  cities  of  Arame  of  the  Urardhians  as  far  as  the 
sources  of  the  Euphrates.’”  Twelve  years  after  the 
above  event  we  find  Shalmaneser  contending  with  Sar- 
duris,  the  king  of  the  Urardhians,  or  Araratians,  and 
Professor  Sayce  suggests  a  solution  of  the  difficulty 
which  he  meets  in  the  following  language :  “  A  more 
serious  difficulty  exists  in  the  fact  that  Sarduris  I.  calls 
himself  the  son  of  Lutipri(s),  whereas  the  king  of 
Urardhu,  against  whom  Shalmaneser  had  to  contend  in 
B.  C.  857  and  845,  was  Arame,  and  already,  in  B.  C.  833, 
only  twelve  years  later,  his  antagonist  was  Sarduris.  It 
is,  however,  quite  possible  that  the  reign  of  Lutipris  had 
been  a  short  one  of  less  than  twelve  years.  But  I  am 
more  inclined  to  conjecture  that  Sarduris  I.  was  the 
leader  of  a  new  dynasty,  the  ill  success  of  Arame  in  his 
wars  with  the  Assyrians  forming  the  occasion  for  his 
overthrow.”  If  we  admit  Professor  Sayce’s  conjecture, 
that  Sarduris  is  a  leader  of  a  new  dynasty,  it  is  easy  also 
to  explain  why  the  kings  of  this  dynasty  do  not  call 
themselves  the  kings  of  Ararat,  and  have  no  reference 
to  Arame,  and  much  Assyrianism  exists  in  their  culture. 

In  regard  to  the  origin  of  Ararat,  or  Arardhi,  “  it  is 
certainly  not  a  Semitic  word,”  neither  is  it  an  Accadian ; 
if  it  were  so  Professor  Sayce  would  have  told  us.  Moses 
of  Khorene  thought  it  was  called  Ara-arat,  in  reference 
to  a  defeat  of  Ara,  the  king  of  Armenia,  in  a  bloody 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


41 


conflict  with  the  Babylonians,  about  eighteen  centuries 
before  our  era.  Another  Armenian  historian  makes 
Arardhi  to  derive  its  name  from  King  Ara,  in  honor 
of  the  king,  it  being  composed  of  Ara  and  Ardh,“  field” 
or  “  plains,”  on  account  of  his  wise  administration  and 
improvements  which  he  made  in  the  land.  “  Arah 
considerably  improved  the  kingdom,  and  so  great  was 
the  content  of  the  people  residing  near  it  (Armavir), 
that  by  common  consent  that  part  of  his  dominions  was 
called  after  him,  Ararat. 

“  The  administration  of  public  affairs  at  that  period  was 
so  highly  appreciated,  that  by  way  of  excellence  it  was 
named  Araratian  government.”* 

If  we  accept  Brockhatis’  definition  and  derivation  of 
Arardhi,  we  will  strike  on  the  right  meaning  and  true 
derivation  of  the  word,  namely,  Ar,  in  Sanskrit  the  root 
of  “Aryan”  or  “nobles,”  and  Ardh ,  in  ancient  Armenian 
“  field  ”  or  “  plains ;”  thus  Arardhi  or  Ararat  meaning 
“the  plains  of  Aryans  ”  or  “  nobles. ”f 

The  antiquity  of  the  namj  of  Ararat  is  not  disputed. 
It  first  comes  to  our  notice  in  the  book  of  Genesis,  as 
we  have  seen  in  connection  with  the  resting  of  the  ark 
“  upon  the  mountains  of  Ararat.”  The  book  of  Gen¬ 
esis  is  considered  by  the  best  and  almost  all  the  critics 
to  be  the  oldest  book  in  the  Scriptures,  and  its  author¬ 
ship  is  assigned  to  Moses,  who  lived  in  the  fifteenth 
century  before  the  Christian  era.  Ararat  was  known  as 
the  name  of  Armenia  even  several  centuries  before  the 


*  “History  of  Armenia,”  by  Chamich,  page  22. 
|See  Brockhaus’  Lexicon,  II.,  page  60. 


42 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


time  of  Moses.  “  An  ancient  bilingual  tablet  (W.  A.  I., 
II.,  48,  13)  makes  Urdhu  the  equivalent  of  tilla,  of 
which  the  Accadian  pronunciation  is  given  as  tilla ,  the 
latter,  as  Sir  H.  Rawlinson  long  ago  pointed  out,  being 
probably  a  Semitic  loan-word,  and  meaning  ‘  the  high¬ 
lands.’  Tilla ,  the  equivalent  of  Urdhu,  usually  signifies 
the  land  of  Accad  or  northern  Babylonia,  but  since  it  is 
not  glossed  in  this  passage,  and  stands,  moreover,  be¬ 
tween  Akharru  or  Palestine,  and  Kutu  Kurdistan,  it 
would  seem  that  it  is  here  employed  to  denote  Armenia. 
Urardhu,  therefore,  contracted  into  Urdhu,  would  have 
been  the  designation  of  the  highland  of  Armenia  among 
the  Babylonians  as  early  as  the  sixteenth  and  seven¬ 
teenth  century  B.  C.”* 

We  thus  find  that  the  sacred  historian’s  statement  is 
confirmed  by  this  bilingual  tablet,  by  the  traditions  of 
the  Araratians,  and  especially  by  the  consecrated  scholar¬ 
ship  of  the  nineteenth  century.  God’s  truth,  indeed,  has 
its  confirmation  in  itself  and  needs  no  confirmation  from 
outside,  but  in  order  to  condemn  those  who  boast  of 
science  and  philosophy  and  imagine  that  science  and 
philosophy  are  doing  away  with  the  Bible,  God  con¬ 
demns  them  by  the  very  things  that  they  boast  of,  de¬ 
fending  his  truth  by  them. 

Returning  now  to  our  history  we  will  occupy  the  read¬ 
er’s  attention  with  a  brief  account  furnished  by  the 
“  Cuneiform  Inscriptions  of  Armenia,”  which  extends 
from  856  B.  C.  to  some  time  after  640  B.  C. 


*“  Cuneiform  Inscriptions  of  Van”  in  ‘‘Journal  R.  A.  S.,” 
volume  XIV.,  page  392. 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


43 


After  the  overthrow  of  Arame,  the  king  of  the  Arara- 
tians,  Lutipris  succeeds  him,  though  he  is  not  called 
king  by  his  son,  Sarduris  I.,  but  the  new  dynasty  seems 
to  commence  with  him.  When  we  say  that  a  new 
dynasty  began  with  Lutipris  or  his  son  Sarduris  I.,  we 
by  no  means  intend  to  say  that  the  Haikian  dynasty 
was  at  an  end,  but  it  is  very  probable  that  that  dynasty 
was  thrust  in  the  shade  and  driven  farther  north. 

The  list  of  the  kings  of  this  new  dynasty  is  as  follows  : 
Arame  was  succeeded  by  Lutipris.  Sarduris  I.  was  the 
son  and  successor  of  Lutipris.  Ispuinis  was  the  son  of 
Sarduris  I.  Menuas  succeeded  his  father  Ispuinis.  Ar- 
gistis  reigned  with  and  succeeded  his  father  Menuas. 
Sarduris  II.  is  the  son  of  Argistis.  Ursa  mounted  the 
throne  after  Sarduris  II.  Argistis  II.  is  the  successor 
of  Ursa.  Erimenas  is  the  son  of  Argistis  II.  Rusas  is 
the  son  and  successor  of  Erimenas.  Sarduris  III.  suc¬ 
ceeds  Rusas. 

The  reign  of  these  kings  is  characterized  by  a  marked 
Assyrianism,  in  their  adopting  the  Assyrian  civilization, 
in  following  the  custom  of  the  Assyrian  kings  by  record¬ 
ing  their  conquests  and  achievements  on  the  rocks,  and 
by  setting  up  monuments  wherever  they  carried  their 
arms  and  subdued  their  neighbors,  and  took  possession 
of  their  enemies.  They  conform  to  the  Assyrian  style 
of  cuneiform  writing,  but  do  not  use  the  Assyrian  lan¬ 
guage,  unless  it  be  in  the  early  part  ol  the  reign  of 
Sarduris  I.  They  have  a  distinct  language  of  their  own, 
though  their  culture  and  civilization  are  much  influenced 
by  the  Assyrians. 

Monuments  they  have  erected  at  various  parts  of  the 


44 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


country.  Some  of  them  are  found  beyond  the  banks  of 
the  Araxes,  near  the  ancient  city  of  Armavir,  on  the 
shores  of  the  lake  of  Erevan,  or  Sevan,  in  the  southeast 
part  of  the  country,  near  Lake  Urumiyeh.  Some  of 
them  are  found  near  Erzemm,  and  engraved  upon  the 
face  of  the  rock  at  Palu,  and  j:heir  conquest  over,  and  in¬ 
vasion  into,  the  land  of  Hittffes  show  the  extent  of  their 
dominions.  The  boastful  expression  of  Tiglath-Pileser 
II.  is  an  unconscious  confession  of  the  greatness  of  the 
Araratian  Empire,  for  he  claims  that  he  traversed  the 
country  of  Ararat  for  four  hundred  and  fifty  miles  with¬ 
out  resistance.  These  kings  often  were  at  war  with  the 
Assyrians  and  other  independent  principalities  in  the 
limits  of  their  own  dominions  and  in  the  neighboring 
countries.  But  Assyria  was  the  worthy  opponent  and 
a  common  enemy  of  all,  so  it  is  very  probable  that  these 
principalities  were  allies  of  the  Armenians  against  the 
common  foe. 

It  has  already  been  said  that  the  Assyrian  influence, 
civilization,  and  culture  had  characterized  this  period, 
moulded  the  customs  of  the  people,  and  wrought  changes 
in  the  names  of  some  places  and  persons.  It  has  been 
inferred  by  some  historians  and  scholars  from  these 
changes  that  these  kings  and  the  people  of  Ararat  or  Ar¬ 
menia  were  not  Aryans,  and  do  not  belong  to  the  Indo- 
European  race  or  family.  But  they,  unfortunately  for 
them,  have  no  better  argument  to  support  their  hypoth¬ 
esis  than  two  or  three  names  found  in  the  Behistum  in¬ 
scription.  The  unhappiest  aspect  of  their  position  is 
this  :  One  of  the  two  scholars  mentions  those  names  as 
an  argument  to  prove  the  existence  still  of  these  non- 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


45 


Aryan  people  and  language,  and  the  other  adduces  the 
same  names  as  evidence  of  the  Aryans  making  their  ap¬ 
pearance  at  that  period  or  just  a  little  before  that  time. 
“  That  the  Vannic  language  was  still  spoken  in  Armenia 
is  pretty  clear  from  the  names  of  Khaldita  and  of  his  son, 
Arakha,  who  had  settled  in  Babylonia,  and  claimed  to 
be  Nebuchadnezzar,  son  of  Nabonidas.”  The  following 
is  the  language  of  the  other  distinguished  scholar  :  “  In 
the  Behistum  inscription  we  have  three  Armenian 
names,  Dadarshish,  Arakha,  and  Handita.*  Of  these 
Dadarshish  is  manifestly  Aryan,  being  a  reduplication  of 
darsh  ‘  to  dare.’  Arakha  has  root  Ar  (-arya, 1  noble  ’),  with 
the  Scythic  akh  suffixed  to  it.  Handita  has  the  same  par¬ 
ticiple  ending  as  Khshathrita  (Xathritis)  Arshita  (Arsis- 
tos),  and  like,  but  its  etymology  is  otherwise  obscure.” 

Whatever  Assyrianism  or  non-Assyrianism  may  exist 
in  the  civilization  and  culture  of  these  kings  and  people, 
and  even  had  they  some  non-Aryan  names,  all  these 
would  neither  be  sufficient  nor  conclusive  evidences  to 
show  that  they  were  non- Aryans.  For  we  often  find, 
even  in  our  days,  that  a  people,  coming  into  contact  with 
another  nation,  are  influenced,  and  adopt  certain  customs, 
words,  and  names  which  they  fancy  to  be  better  than 
their  own,  or  they  actually  may  be  so.  But  in  regard 
to  what  family  of  languages  the  inscriptions  of  Armenia  be¬ 
long,  the  following  statement  of  Dr.  Hincks  is,  we  believe, 
a  decisive  one :  “  I  flatter  myself,  however,  that  those 
who  read  this  paper  will  admit  that  I  have  made  a 

*Handita  must  be  the  same  with  Khaldita  of  the  first  quotation, 
for  he  is  the  father  of  Arakha  ;  both,  therefore,  must  be  either 
Aryans  or  non- Aryans. 


46 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


beginning,  and  gone  a  considerable  way  in  the  decipher- 
ment  and  interpretation  of  a  set  of  inscriptions,  which, 
however  slight  may  be  their  value  in  a  historical  point  of 
view,  are  invaluable  to  the  philologer,  as  being  beyond 
all  comparison  the  oldest  specimens  of  the  Asiatic  branch 
of  the  Indo-Germanic  family  ;  nay,  for  aught  we  know  to 
the  contrary,  they  are  more  ancient  than  any  Greek 
which  has  come  down  to  us.”* 

Tigranes  I.,f  the  king  of  Armenia,  was  contemporary 
with  Cyrus,  the  Persian  king,  who,  with  the  forces  of 
Ararat,  Minni,  and  Ashclenaz,  swelled  the  Medo-Persian 
army,  and,  according  to  the  summons  of  the  prophet 
Jeremiah,  accomplished  the  overthrow  of  the  empire  of 
Babylonia.  (Jeremiah  li.  27,  28.) 

The  descendants  of  Tigranes  I.  reigned  over  Armenia 
until  the  invasion  of  the  country  by  the  Macedonian 
king,  Alexander  the  Great.  King  Vahi,  while  contend¬ 
ing  with  the  Grecian  army,  in  defense  of  the  rights 
of  his  people  and  country,  fell.  From  this  time  the 
country  was  governed  by  the  Macedonian  rulers  until 
the  defeat  of  Antiochus,  the  Great,  by  the  Romans.  At 
this  time  Armenia  recovered  her  independence ;  how¬ 
ever  it  did  not  last  very  long. 

^Journal  Royal  Asiatic  Society,  volume  IX.,  page  422. 

fThere  must  have  been  a  great  friendship  between  Tigranes  and 
Cyrus,  to  furnish  Xenophon  with  such  a  fertile  subject  to  expand 
his  romantic  genius.  “  And  you,  Tigranes,”  said  he  (Cyrus),  “at 
what  rate  would  you  purchase  the  regaining  of  your  wife?” 
Now  he  happened  to  be  but  lately  married,  and  had  a  very  great 
love. for  his  wife.  “  Cyrus,”  said  he  (Tigranes),  “to  save  her  from 
servitude,  I  would  ransom  her  at  the  expense  of  my  life.”  (Cyro- 
paedia,  book  III.,  chapter  1.) 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


4 ; 


The  rise  of  the  Arsacide  dynasty  of  Parthia  was  a 
complete  overthrow  of  the  Macedonian  influence  in  the 
East.  Arsaces,  the  Parthian  king,  appointed  his  brother 
Valarsaces  king  over  Armenia,  and  these  two  countries, 
governed  by  one  reigning  family,  were  in  full  sym¬ 
pathy  with  each  other  and  in  firm  alliance  for  a  time 
and  a  worthy  antagonist  and  opponent  of  the  Romans, 
who  were  pushing  eastward  over  the  territories  once 
subdued  by  the  Macedonian  prince,  Alexander  the 
Great. 

Among  the  successors  of  Valarsaces  of  the  Arsacide 
dynasty  of  Armenia,  Tigranes  the  Great,  or  the  Second, 
immortalized  himself,  not  only  in  the  history  of  Ar¬ 
menia,  but  also  in  universal  history. 

His  name  was  the  glory  of  his  people,  as  it  was  also  a 
terror  to  his  enemies.  He  extended  his  dominions  from 
the  Caucasian  Mountains  to  the  Mesopotamian  plains, 
and  from  the  Caspian  Sea  to  the  Mediterranean,  includ¬ 
ing  Media,  Atropatene,  Assyria  proper,  Cilicia,  Syria, 
and  Phoenicia.  He  built  a  new  capital  of  an  immense 
size,  and  called  it  after  his  name,  Tigranaghert*  (built  by 
Tigranes). 

Before  this  period  the  Romans  already  had  crept 
into  Western  Asia.  Had  the  Parthian  and  Armenian 


*  According  to  Strabo,  twelve  Greek  cities  were  depopulated  to 
furnish  Tigranacerta  with  inhabitants  (XI.,  14,  section  15).  Ac¬ 
cording  to  Appian,  three  hundred  thousand  Cappadocians  were 
translated  thither  (Mithrid,  page  216  C).  Plutarch  speaks  of  the 
population  as  having  been  drawn  from  Cilicia,  Cappadocia, 
Gordyene,  Assyria,  and  A.diab6nd  (Lucull.,  26).  “Sixth  Oriental 
Monarchy,”  by  G.  Rawlinson. 


48 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


monarchs  recognized  the  fact  that  Rome  was  a  common 
enemy  to  both,  and  had  kept  their  alliance  firm  and  un¬ 
shaken  by  the  intrigues  and  enticements  of  the  Roman 
generals  and  had  encountered  the  foe  with  their  united 
forces,  the  Roman  power  would  never  have  been  able 
to  make  her  appearance,  or  maintain  it,  in  Western  Asia. 
However,  whether  with  bravery  or  with  treachery,  we 
rather  think  with  the  combination  of  the  two,  the 
Romans  pushed  their  way  into  that  country. 

Antony,  the  Roman  general,  in  his  expedition  into 
Parthia,  entered  into  alliance  with  Artavades  of  Armenia, 
and  he  was  allowed  to  attack  Media  through  the  former 
country.  Media  was  dependent  on  Parthia  at  this  time 
(35  B.  C.).  Ill  success  compelled  him  to  retreat  into 
Armenia  and  winter  there.  Meanwhile,  the  king  of 
Media,  having  been  provoked  by  the  Parthians,  and  with 
the  hope  of  a  possible  recovery  of  his  country  by  the 
Roman  army,  entered  into  alliance  with  the  Roman 
general.  Then  Antony,  desiring  to  reduce  Armenia  to 
a  vassal  state,  by  enticing  Artavasdes  to  enter  into  his 
power,  while  the  Roman  legions  were  stationed  at  the 
most  important  posts  in  the  country  which  had  afforded 
to  them  such  a  hospitable  shelter  during  the  winter, 
“  He  (Antony)  professed  the  most  friendly  feelings  to¬ 
wards  Artavasdes,  even  promising  an  alliance  between 
their  families,  that  prince  (Artavasdes),  after  some  hesi¬ 
tation,  at  length  entered  into  his  presence.  He  was  im¬ 
mediately  seized  and  put  in  chains,  and  he  carried  off 
Artavasdes  and  a  rich  bounty  into  Egypt.”* 


*  “Sixth  Oriental  Monarchy,”  XIII.,  page  206, 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


49 


The  son  of  Artavasdes  recovered  the  country  by  the 
aid  of  the  Parthians  and  massacred  all  the  Romans 
found  in  it. 

Armenia,  thus  between  the  Parthians  on  one  side  and 
the  Romans  on  the  other  side,  was  in  a  fluctuating-  con¬ 
dition  for  a  length  of  time,  and  the  battle-ground  for 
these  ambitiously  combating  powers. 


CHAPTER  III. 


CONFLICTING  FORCES  IN  THE  EAST. 

Some  great  changes  were  slowly  taking  place  in  the 
East  as  well  as  in  the  West,  which  were  to  give  a  dif¬ 
ferent  aspect  to  the  history  of  the  civilized  world.  The 
Parthian  Empire  was  approaching  the  verge  of  its  down¬ 
fall.  In  the  royal  family  dissensions  were  undermining 
the  power  of  the  empire.  Persia  proper,  which  had  been 
a  tributary  province  of  the  Parthian  reign,  was  not 
much  pleased  with  her  servitude,  and  very  anxious  to 
throw  off  the  yoke  of  subjection,  which  for  nearly  five 
centuries  she  had  patiently  borne,  but  which  was  now 
too  burdensome  .to  endure  any  longer.  So,  under  the 
leadership  of  Artaxerxes,  Persia  proper  regained  her 
independence  and  overthrew  the  reign  of  the  Parthian 
branch  of  the  Arsacide  dynasty.  On  the  other  hand 
the  Roman  Empire  was  too  great  to  be  under  one  emper¬ 
or;  the  leading  people  of  the  empire  were  divided  into 
two,  the  Greeks  and  the  Latins.  The  division  of  the 
empire  into  the  eastern  and  western  was  not  only  a  de¬ 
sirable,  but  even  a  natural,  one.  The  Greek  city  Byzan¬ 
tium  was  rebuilt  and  honorably  made  the  capital  of  the 
Eastern  Empire,  and  called  Constantinople*  after  the 


*  According  to  the  ancient  authorities,  Byzantium  was  built  by 
a  Grecian  colony  about  658  B.  C. 

(5o) 


CONFLICTING  FORCES  IN  THE  EAST.  5  I 

name  of  Emperor  Constantine  the  Great  (about  A.  D. 
328). 

This  metropolis  of  the  Eastern  Empire  soon  became 
a  worthy  rival  of  Rome,  both  in  civil  and  ecclesiastical 
matters. 

These  changes,  however,  in  the  East  and  in  the  West 
did  not  mitigate  the  sufferings  of  the  Armenians,  nor 
ameliorate  the  condition  of  the  country,  but  rather  in¬ 
creased  the  trouble  of  the  people  and  made  them  furnish 
the  field  for  the  new  actors,  on  either  side,  to  perform 
their  almost  unheard-of  cruelties  at  various  times,  es¬ 
pecially  after  the  conversion  of  the  Armenians  to  Chris¬ 
tianity. 

In  the  minds  of  the  Greeks,  Armenia  was  associated 
with  some  terror  and  hatred.  For  the  Armenians  were 
in  alliance  with  the  Persians  when  they  invaded  Greece ; 
afterwards  the  conquests  of  the  distinguished  monarchs 
of  Armenia,  like  Tigranes  the  Great  and  his  immediate 
successors,  over  the  Greeks,  recorded  by  their  own  his¬ 
torians  in  a  more  exaggerated  manner  than  the  Arme¬ 
nian  historians  themselves  f,  would  most  naturally  make 
them  to  foster  such  a  deep-rooted  malice  in  their  hearts 
and  cause  them  to  wish  for  opportunities  to  avenge 
themselves.  We  do  not  fail  to  find  them  doing  so  when¬ 
ever  an  opportunity  was  offered  them. 

Hardly  would  Armenia  sound  pleasantly  to  the  ear  of 
the  Persian  any  longer.  Armenia  lived  in  peace  with 
Persia  for  centuries.  The  reason  of  these  comparatively 

t  An  Armenian  historian  says  Tigranes  translated  thirty  thousand 
inhabitants  of  Cappadocia,  the  Greek  historian  three  hundred 
thousand.  See  note  page  47. 


52 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


peaceful  relations  between  these  two  countries  was  two¬ 
fold  :  both  the  Armenians  and  the  Persians  were  Aryan 
and  coreligionists.  But  Armenia,  of  late,  had  aposta¬ 
tized  from  her  former  religion,  Zoroastrianism,  and  her 
devotion  to  Magism.  In  Persia,  by  the  founder  of 
the  Sassanian  dynasty,  Zoroastrianism  was  revived  and 
enforced  upon  the  inhabitants  of  the  country.  In  his 
charge  to  his  son  and  successor  before  his  departure 
from  this  life,  Artaxerxes  dilated  himself  on  the  subject 
of  religion,  and  maintaining  it,  and  enforcing  upon  the 
Iran  or  non-Iran  to  become  worshipers  of  Zoroastrian 
faith  as  a  necessary  basis  for  the  stability  of  the  empire. 
Plis  successors  were  found  very  faithful  and  zealous  in 
the  performance  and  execution  of  their  master’s  orders. 
In  Armenia  the  fire-temples  and  the  temples  of  the  lead¬ 
ing  deities  were  swept  out  of  existence,  and  the  Christian 
churches  and  schools  were  established  all  over  the 
country.  Zoroastrianism  had  received  such  a  blow  from 
the  hands  of  King  Jesus  and  fallen  in  pieces,  like  Dagon 
of  Ashdod,  before  the  ark  of  the  Lord  in  the  days  of  old, 
that  seven  hundred  magi  and  an  immense  army  of  Per¬ 
sians  could  not  gather  its  fragments  or  keep  the  fires 
unquenched  on  its  altars  in  Armenia. 

Constantine  the  Great  also  avowed  his  allegiance  to 
the  religion  of  Christ.  Persia,  therefore,  would  most 
naturally  reason  that  these  two  nations,  the  Armenians 
and  the  Greeks,  being  the  believers  in,  and  defenders  of, 
a  common  faith,  would  be  united  to  defend  as  well  as 
propagate  it.  The  Persians  naturally  thought  that  a 
common  religion  should  produce  a  harmonious  relation 
between,  and  a  united  action  of,  these  two  nations.  The 


CONFLICTING  FORCES  IN  THE  EAST.  53 

heathen  often  think  and  reason  more  naturally  than  some 
of  the  professing  Christians,  and  some  of  the  professing 
Christians  often  act  more  unnaturally  than  even  some  of 
the  heathen.  Accordingly  some  of  the  Persians  looked 
upon  the  Armenians  with  the  profoundest  suspicion  and 
dealt  towards  them  with  the  utmost  cruelty. 

Although  the  Armenians  nationally  embraced  Chris¬ 
tianity,  but  by  no  means  all  of  them,  unfortunately,  were 
in  full  sympathy  with  the  faith  of  the  majority.  Some  of 
the  nobility  especially,  at  times,  did  ignobly  unite  with 
Persia’s  hordes,  whether  with  a  mercenary  object  in 
view  or  with  a  blind  zeal  for  the  restoration  of  the  abol¬ 
ished  Zoroastrianism,  thus  aggravating  the  misery  and 
trouble  of  their  own  people,  and  causing  much  blood¬ 
shed  in  the  country.  For  the  sake  of  truth  we  must  say 
that  ignoble  persons  so  debased  in  character  and  purpose 
are,  even  at  this  present  time  in  the  hands  of  the  Turk¬ 
ish  officers,  daily  contributing  a  good  deal  to  form  a 
large  portion  of  the  present  Armenian  troubles.  It  will 
be  almost  impossible  to  enumerate  all  the  agencies,  the 
internal,  but  not  less  infernal,  than  the  external  and  oc¬ 
casional  causes  which  precipitated  the  country  into  in¬ 
describable  misery  and  irrecoverable  dissolution.  How¬ 
ever,  we  have  cursorily  reviewed  some  of  these  facts  which, 
the  reader  bearing  them  in  mind,  will  have  the  key  to 
unlock  the  mystery  of  the  Armenian  troubles  and 
misery. 

The  king  of  Persia  could  not  feel  secure  as  long  as 
the  Arsacide  dynasty  had  yet  any  existence.  The  Par¬ 
thian  branch  of  that  reigning  family  was  overthrown, 
but  the  Armenian  branch  continued  until  A.  D.  433, 


54 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


nearly  two  centuries  longer.  But  within  this  entire  pe¬ 
riod  Armenia  was  in  contest  with  Persia.  The  Persians 
had  two  reasons  for  their  doing  so,  namely,  the  existence 
of  the  Arsacide  dynasty  in  Armenia  and  her  change  of 
religion. 

After  the  extinction  of  this  reigning  family,  Armenia 
was  divided  between  the  Eastern  Empire  and  Persia,  the 
former  having  the  western  part  of  the  country,  the  east¬ 
ern  part  being  possessed  by  the  latter.  The  usurpers  of 
Armenia  tried  to  govern  their  respective  possessions  by 
various  methods,  but  they  succeeded  better  when  they 
had  native  rulers,  than  with  foreign  governors. 

Western  Asia  seems  to  be  made  for  a  theatre,  and  al¬ 
most  all  the  great  actors  in  the  annals  of  the  dramatic 
history  of  the  world  enact  their  roles  there.  Towards 
the  close  of  the  sixth  century  the  sunny  and  sandy 
plains  of  Arabia  had  given  birth  to  a  person  who  was  to 
be  no  less  than  a  hero,  a  warrior,  a  lawgiver,  and  a 
founder  of  a  new  religion  which  shaped  the  destiny  of 
millions  of  human  beings  and  flooded  many  a  country 
with  the  blood  of  its  inhabitants.  This  was  our  self- 
made  and  called  prophet  of  Arabia,  Mohammed,  who, 
with  great  difficulty,  after  finding  some  adherents,  began 
to  contend  with  his  opponents,  often  attacking  unawares 
wayfaring  merchants  on  their  way  from  the  northern 
countries.  The  plunder  and  the  booty  taken  from  the 
conquered  were  freely  distributed  to  his  followers.  This 
surely  was  a  great  attraction  to  the  pillage-loving  and 
war-delighting  Arabs  to  swell  the  army  of  the  prophet 
Mohammed.  Arabia,  Palestine,  Syria,  Mesopotamia,  and 
Persia,  one  after  the  other,  within  a  comparatively  short 


CONFLICTING  FORCES  IN  THE  EAST. 


55 


time,  fell  under  the  followers  of  Mohammed.  Baghdad 
was  made  the  capital  of  the  Saracens,  and  the  Persian 
portion  of  Armenia  was  governed  by  the  rulers  ap¬ 
pointed  at  Baghdad  by  the  Caliphs  or  successors  of  Mo¬ 
hammed.  Now  let  the  reader  stretch  the  compass  of 
his  imagination  to  picture  the  most  oppressed  condition 
of  the  Christian  Armenians  under  the  zealous  mission¬ 
aries  and  soldiers  of  the  Mohammedan  religion,  whose 
founder  had  only  two  alternatives  for  the  conquered,  to 
believe  in  his  religion  or  to  die.  For  there  is  no  danger 
of  overstating  the  cruelties,  outrages,  massacres,  and 
tortures  poured  upon  the  conquered  by  Mohammed’s 
missionary  soldiers.  Kven  a  picture  drawn  by  the  wild¬ 
est  imagination  will  fall  far  below  the  sufferings  of  the 
people  and  the  atrocities  of  the  Mohammedans.  The 
Armenians  were  often  willing  to  let  everything  else  go 
if  they  were  left  with  their  preferred  faith,  the  religion  of 
Christ.  But  even  then  were  they  not  left  alone.  There¬ 
fore,  compelled  so  to  do,  they  often  took  arms  to  defend 
their  religion  and  rights  and  perished  sword  in  hand. 
It  was  thus  since  the  introduction  of  Christianity  into 
Armenia :  “The  history  of  Armenia  presents  but  a  mel¬ 
ancholy  picture  to  the  friend  of  humanity.  Rapacious 
neighbors,  the  enemies  of  Christianity,  found  a  theatre 
for  their  unheard-of  cruelties  and  oppressions  in  that 
beauteous  land,  the  inhabitants  of  which  were  equally 
exposed  to  the  outrages  of  Paganism  and  of  Islam.” 

The  condition  of  the  provinces  of  Armenia  governed 
by  the  Greeks  was  hardly  any  better.  The  Saracens 
were  pushing  their  way  westward  and  towards  the  north. 
The  Greeks  were  becoming  unendurable  on  account  of 


56 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


their  prejudices  and  persecutions  occasioned  by  such 
trifling  differences  in  the  rituals  and  ceremonies  of  the 
Armenian  from  the  Greek  Church.  The  state  of  things, 
indeed,  was  in  a  deplorable  condition. 

There  is  something  marvelous  in  the  annals  of  our  his¬ 
tory.  Though  the  Armenians  were  surrounded  by  hos¬ 
tile  and  uncivilized  nations  and  had  such  internal  dissen¬ 
sions  and  contentions,  yet  the  spirit  of  bravery,  courage, 
and  unconquerable  love  for  liberty,  as  it  were,  sprang  up 
from  the  very  ashes  and  the  dust  of  the  burnt  and  ruined 
cities  and  towns ;  yea,  even  from  the  carcass-covered 
and  blood-drenched  soil  of  Armenia.  Thus  it  was  that 
about  the  end  of  the  ninth  century  of  our  era  a  new 
dynasty  in  Armenia  began  to  lift  up  the  banner  of  lib¬ 
erty  over  the  oppressed  sons  and  daughters  of  the 
House  of  Togarmah.  The  worthy  kings  of  this  dy¬ 
nasty  maintained  their  almost  absolute  independence 
nearly  two  centuries ;  they  would  have  maintained  it  to 
the  present  time  had  matters  not  still  grown  worse  and 
worse. 

It  was  in  the  period  of  this  dynasty  that  the  Mongo¬ 
lian  and  Tartar  tribes,  who  were  scattered  over  the  plains 
and  table-lands  of  Central  and  Northern  Asia,  began  to 
move  westward  in  search  of  plunder  and  pasture-lands. 
These  tribes  had  distinctive  names  in  their  country,  but 
after  leaving  it  they  began  to  be  denominated  by  the 
names  of  their  leaders,  like  Seljukians,  after  Seljuk; 
Othmanlis  or  Osmanlis,  after  Othman  or  Osman.  They 
were  pastoral  in  their  occupations;  in  disposition  they 
were  warlike ;  rapacious  and  predatory  in  their  habits ; 
nomadic  in  their  mode  of  life,  and  surely  Pagans  in 


CONFLICTING  FORCES  IN  THE  EAST. 


s ; 


practice  of  religion.  They  first  settled  in  Persia,  and 
there,  having  come  into  contact  with  the  religion  of 
Mohammed,  they  accepted  it  and  entered  the  Moham¬ 
medan  army.  They  excelled  the  Arabs  in  enthusiasm, 
in  intolerance,  and  cruelty,  especially  upon  the  Chris¬ 
tians.  Indeed,  the  entry  of  the  Mongolian  hordes  or  the 
Turks  into  Western  Asia  was  and  still  is  the  worst  of 
all  evils  and  the  severest  of  all  the  calamities  that  ever 
befell  the  Armenians  or  any  other  Christian  nation  in 
Western  Asia. 

But  the  downfall  of  that  dynasty  which  had  main¬ 
tained  its  existence  nearly  two  centuries  was  not  brought 
about  by  the  hands  of  the  merciless  Arabs,  nor  by  the 
hands  of  the  barbarous  Turks ;  though  cruel  and  bar¬ 
barous  these  are,  but  seldom  do  they  with  treachery  and 
perfidy  what  they  cannot  with  bravery. 

Gakig  was  the  last  king  of  this  dynasty,  who  had 
made  himself  both  popular  and  beloved  on  account  of 
his  just  and  wise  administration  of  the  government. 
The  Greek  Emperor  Monomachus  demanded  from 
Gakig  the  surrender  of  the  capital  Ani  for  some  pre¬ 
tense,  which  King  Gakig  was  not  willing  to  do,  and 
his  reply  to  the  emperor  was,  “  I  can  never  be  prevailed 
upon  quietly  to  relinquish  my  paternal  inheritance  to 
any  individual.”  Hereupon  the  emperor  sent  a  large 
force  against  the  king;  however,  his  troops  were  de¬ 
feated.  He  again  tried  by  force  to  accomplish  his  object, 
but  it  was  unsuccessful ;  he  then  entered  into  an  alliance 
with  the  Mohammedan  governor  of  the  districts  border¬ 
ing  on  the  provinces  of  Gakig  to  ruin  the  latter,  but  this 
also  proved  a  failure.  The  emperor  pretended  to  be 


58 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


appeased  and  entered  into  a  friendship,  inviting  the  king 
on  a  visit  to  Constantinople.  Gakig  doubted  very  much 
the  sincerity  of  the  emperor,  but,  alas !  some  of  his 
chiefs  who  had  conspired  against  him  and  were  sharers 
of  the  guilt  of  the  emperor  prevailed  upon  him.  Confid¬ 
ing  in  the  solemn  assurances  of  the  emperor,  and  in 
compliance  with  the  requests  of  his  chiefs,  he  did  go  to 
Constantinople. 

He  was  exiled  by  the  prefidious  emperor  to  an  island. 
This  dethroned  king,  deprived  of  his  rightful  crown  and 
sceptre  and  paternal  inheritance,  after  a  period  of  thirty- 
five  years  of  exile,  was  assassinated  by  the  Greeks. 

While  King  Gakig  was  an  exile  the  Greeks  took  pos¬ 
session  of  the  capital  Ani  and  a  large  territory.  The 
Seljukian  Turks,  who  had  settled  themselves  in  Persia, 
were  increasing  in  number  and  in  power,  and  invaded 
Armenia.  At  their  first  incursion  they  desolated  twenty- 
four  provinces;  at  their  second  attack  ruined  many  cities 
and  towns  and  carried  an  immense  number  of  the  in¬ 
habitants  into  captivity.  For  the  third  time  did  they 
besiege  the  city  of  Arzu,  where  many  had  taken  refuge, 
being  a  walled  city.  The  inhabitants  made  a  desperate 
resistance,  but  the  enemy  was  too  strong,  and  the 
Armenians  too  fatigued  to  fight  any  longer  surrendered. 
The  Seljukian  Turks,  after  having  taken  possession  of 
them,  displayed  a  barbarism  which  almost  equals  that 
of  Tamerlane ;  they  massacred  in  cold  blood  one  hun¬ 
dred  and  forty  thousand  of  the  people  and  carried  as 
many  into  captivity  and  destroyed  the  city  by  fire. 
This  doleful  calamity  took  place  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord  1049. 


CONFLICTING  FORCES  IN  THE  EAST.  59 

Several  times  during  every  year  the  Turkish  and  Tar¬ 
tar  incursions  took  place,  and  the  country  devastated, 
plundered,  and  the  people  indiscriminately  massacred 
or  made  slaves.  These  circumstances  compelled  the 
people  to  emigrate  into  safer  districts.  Some  of  the 
Armenian  princes  exchanged  their  Vast  territories  with 
the  Greek  emperor  for  other  provinces.  Thus  King 
Sennacherib  transferred  his  immense  territory  of  Vas- 
puragan  to  the  emperor,  and  took  instead  of  it  the  city 
of  Sebastia  (now  Sivas)  and  the  country  about  it,  extend¬ 
ing  to  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates. 

The  Armenians  were  rapidly  increasing  in  the  prov¬ 
inces  of  Cappadocia  and  Cilicia  on  account  of  the  fre¬ 
quent  invasions  and  incursions  of  the  Seljukian  Turks. 
Alp  Arslan,  the  “'Valiant  Lion,”  succeeded  Togrul 
Beg,  Seljukian  king,  and  invaded  Armenia  and  wrested 
the  entire  country  from  the  Greeks  and  captured  Em¬ 
peror  Romanus  in  battle.  His  fearful  career,  how¬ 
ever,  was  ended  by  the  dagger  of  an  enemy.  His 
successor,  Malek  Shah,  extended  the  empire  from  the 
shores  of  the  Mediterranean  on  the  west  to  the  borders 
of  China  on  the  east.  “In  religion  Seljukian  sovereigns 
surpassed  the  other  Moslems  of  their  age  in  fierce  in¬ 
tolerance,  and  thereby  inadvertently  provoked  the  fa¬ 
mous  crusades  of  the  western  nations.  Upon  wresting 
Jerusalem  for  a  time  from  the  dominion  of  the  Egyp¬ 
tian  caliphs,  they  visited  with  such  hardships  the  resi¬ 
dent  and  pilgrim  Christians  that  Europe  armed  for  their 
deliverance  from  oppression.” 

Only  sixteen  years  before  the  last  event  had  taken 
place  one  of  the  three  attendants  of  the  unfortunate 


6o 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


King  Gakig,  who  had  effected  his  escape  with  the  other 
two  when  they  were  attacked  by  the  assassins,  was 
Reuben,  a  relative  of  Gakig,  a  man  of  warlike  character 
and  personal  prowess.  He  resided  with  his  son  Con¬ 
stantine  in  Cilicia;  his  condition  must  have  been  very 
much  like  that  of  David  when  he  was  a  fugitive  from  the 
face  of  Saul.  Reuben  was  invariably  victorious  in  his  con¬ 
tests  with  the  Greeks.  He  attacked  and  wrested  the  fort¬ 
ress  of  Parzhrpert  (lofty  fort),  and  from  this  time  (A.  D. 
1080)  he  styled  himself  Reuben  the  First,  assuming  in¬ 
dependent  reign  over  the  Armenians,  who  had  increased 
in  this  region,  having  been  driven  from  their  original 
home  by  the  cruelties  of  the  Seljukian  Turks. 

In  honor  of  the  founder,  this  new  dynasty  was  styled 
The  Reubenian  Dynasty,  which  lasted  about  three  cent¬ 
uries.  Meanwhile  Malek  Shah  died,  and  the  vast  Sel¬ 
jukian  Empire  was  divided  into  various  principalities. 
One  of  these  principalities  occupied  a  large  portion  of 
Western  Asia  bordering  on  the  Greek  Empire,  having 
its  capital  the  city  of  Nice. 

It  was  during  the  reign  of  Constantine,  the  son  and 
successor  of  Reuben  I.,  that  the  immense  army  of  the 
Crusades  for  the  first  time  marched  into  Western  Asia, 
took  Nice  and  various  places,  and  laid  siege  to  Antioch. 
But  a  terrible  famine  broke  out  in  their  camp.  When 
the  information  of  it  reached  Constantine  and  his  chiefs, 
they  sent  an  abundance  of  provisions  to  the  army  of 
the  Crusaders. 

This  last  dynasty  of  the  Armenians  in  Cilicia  was 
by  no  means  in  a  favorable  condition,  while  Western 
Asia  was  in  a  fearful  agitation  and  in  a  tumultous  situ- 


CONFLICTING  FORCES  IN  THE  EAST.  6 1 

ation.  The  Seljukians,  after  losing  their  capital,  Nice, 
made  Iconium — which  over  ten  centuries  before  had 
listened  to  the  famous  missionaries,  Paul  and  Barnabas, 
tell  the  story  of  the  cross — their  capital,  and  made  it 
resound  with  the  “  ezzen’s  ”  of  the  “  Muezzin  ”  from  the 
numerous  minarets,  and  become  a  source  of  great 
trouble  to  the  Armenians,.  The  Greeks,  inflamed  with 
like  hatred  and  prejudice  as  before,  were  more  or  less 
in  constant  conflict  with  them.  The  Armenians,  over- 
exultant  because  of  the  presence  of  the  Christian  forces 
of  the  Western  nations  in  the  East,  were  willing  to  en¬ 
list  in  aid  of  their  cause  by  entering  into  an  alliance 
with  them.  But  the  suspicions  of  some  that  these  for¬ 
eigners  were  anxious  to  bring  the  Armenian  Church 
under  the  control  of  the  Pope  of  Rome  were  sustained 
by  the  facts  revealed  in  due  time.  Though  their  at¬ 
tempts  proved  unsuccessful,  a  schism  originated  in  the 
Church,  which,  with  its  detrimental  effect  upon  the 
Church  and  the  people,  still  continues. 

A  new  tremendous  army  of  the  Mongolians,  under 
the  command  of  Genghis  Khan,  made  its  appearance  in 
Western  -  Asia ;  they  spread  all  over  Persia,  Armenia, 
and  Asia  Minor  destruction,  devastation,  and  death, 
committing  wholesale  massacres,  consuming  the  cities 
and  towns  by  fire,  and  carrying  away  hundreds  and 
thousands  into  captivity.  Armenia  has  been  over  and 
over  inundated  with  the  blood  of  her  inhabitants,  en¬ 
riched  with  their  carcasses  scattered  upon  her  face;  her 
beautiful  and  bright  sky  was  often  rendered  foggy  and 
smoky  on  account  of  the  conflagrations  of  her  immense 
cities  and  numerous  towns,  kindled  by  the  enemies ; 


62 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


her  beautiful  sons  and  daughters  were  torn  away  from 
the  bosoms  of  their  parents,  carried  away  as  captives 
and  sold  for  slaves  ;  her  magnificent  churches  and  mon¬ 
asteries  were  converted  into  mosques  and  “  tekes.”  Yet 
“  the  House  of  Togarmah  ”  marched  on  through  these 
tremendous  seas  of  oppression,  persecution,  cruelty, 
and  injustice,  from  a  remote  antiquity  to  the  end  of 
the  fourteenth  century  of  our  era,  lifting  up  the  old, 
centuries  old,  flag  of  liberty,  torn  to  pieces  and  ready 
to  fall  into  an  irreparable  dissolution. 

No  doubt  the  object  of  the  popes,  who  urged  the 
Western  sovereigns  to  raise  crusades  against  the  Mo¬ 
hammedans,  and  kept  them  engaged  in  this  unsuccessful 
enterprise  for  a  length  of  time  at  the  expense  of  an  im¬ 
mense  wealth  and  millions  of  human  lives,  was  two¬ 
fold  ;  to  exercise  their  sublunary  power  over  these 
potentates,  and  to  further  their  influence  over  other 
Christian  nations  in  the  East. 

But  they  signally  failed  in  their  purpose.  There 
came  a  time  that  the  popes  had  no  influence  over  the 
kings  of  Europe.  And  the  Crusaders  in  the  East  ren¬ 
dered  their  names  detestable  forever,  both  to  the  Chris¬ 
tians  and  non-Christians.  “  In  1204  (Christian  era)  the 
capital  (Constantinople)  was  captured  by  the  Crusaders, 
whose  conduct  fixed  an  indelible  stain  upon  the  name 
of  the  Franks  throughout  the  East,  especially  as  it  is 
contrasted  with  that  of  the  Mohammedans,  who,  a  few 
years  before,  had  conquered  Jerusalem.  When  Saladin 
entered  the  latter  city  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepul¬ 
chre  was  respected,  and  the  conquered  Christians  re¬ 
mained  in  possession  of  their  property;  no  confiscations 


CONFLICTING  FORCES  IN  THE  EAST.  63 

Were  made  of  the  wealth  of  the  non-combatants.  But 
the  vaunted  chivalry  of  the  Papal  Church  plundered  a 
Christian  city  without  remorse,  desecrated  its  shrines, 
and  maltreated  its  inhabitants,  while  the  profane  cry  of 
“  God  will  it !  ”  was  raised  to  excite  each  other  to  act 
the  part  of  brigands  and  debauchees.  Sacred  plate, 
golden  images  of  saints,  and  silver  candelabras  from  the 
altars ;  bronze  statues  of  heathen  idols  and  heroes, 
precious  works  of  Hellenic  art;  crowns,  coronets, 
thrones,  vessels  of  gold  and  silver ;  ornaments  of  dia¬ 
monds,  pearls,  and  precious  stones  from  the  imperial 
treasury  and  the  palaces  of  the  nobles  ;  jewelry  and 
precious  metals  from  the  shops  of  the  goldsmiths ;  silks, 
velvets,  and  brocaded  tissues  from  the  warehouses  of 
the  merchants,  together  with  coined  money,  were  ac¬ 
cumulated  in  vast  heaps  as  spoils  to  be  divided  by  the 
victors.  A  few  of  the  crusading  clergy  endeavored  to 
moderate  the  fury  which  the  bigoted  prejudices  of  the 
Latin  Church  had  instilled  into  the  minds  of  the  sol¬ 
diery  against  the  Greeks  ;  but  many  priests  were  as 
forward  as  the  most  abandoned  of  the  troops  in  robbing 
the  temples  of  a  kindred  faith.”* 

Our  Saviour’s  words  were  literally  fulfilled ;  with 
what  measure  the  Greeks  so  often  had  measured  and 
dealt  with  the  Armenians,  it  was  meted  to  them  by  the 
hands  of  the  Crusaders;  yet  such  a  conduct  of  the  Cru¬ 
saders  with  the  Christians,  and  undoubtedly  a  conduct 
ten  times  worse  than  this  towards  the  Mohammedans, 
accounts  for  the  determination  and  fury  of  the  latter 


*  “  The  Turkish  Empire,”  pages  238,  239. 


64 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


against  the  Christians.  The  reply  of  Melick  Nasr,  the 
Egyptian  sultan,  to  an  application  of  the  Armenian 
King  Leo  II.  for  a  treaty  of  peace,  was  the  following: 
“  I  will  never  make  peace  with  you  until  you  promise 
on  oath  not  to  hold  any  correspondence  or  communica¬ 
tion  with  Western  nations.”  Often  did  the  Moham¬ 
medan  powers  imagine  that  the  Armenians  had  again 
stirred  up  the  Western  nations,  that  they  were  marching 
against  them  in  greater  force  than  ever  before,  and  then 
they  would  attack  the  cities  and  towns  of  the  Armenians 
and  commit  all  manner  of  atrocities,  thinking  that  this 
might  be  their  last  opportunity. 

The  Armenian  independence  of  Cilicia  was  surrounded 
by  the  Ottoman  power  on  the  west,  constantly  grow¬ 
ing  in  strength  and  in  numbers  ;  on  the  east  and  north 
by  the  Mongolian  invaders  under  such  leaders  as  Togrul 
Beg,  Alp  Arslan,  Genghis  Khan,  Tamerlane,  and  others^ 
who  deserve  to  be  called  the  greatest  warriors  and  the 
most  cruel  sons  of  the  world ;  on  the  south  by  the 
Mohammedans  of  Egypt,  under  the  reign  of  the  Mame¬ 
luke  sultans,  who  were  no  less  formidable  than  the  pre¬ 
vious  two  both  in  hatred  and  cruelty  toward  the  Chris¬ 
tians. 

After  the  withdrawal  of  the  Western  nations — or 
rather  their  being  driven  out  from  the  East — in  full 
satisfaction  of  their  complete  failure  either  to  maintain 
their  position  or  ameliorate  the  oppressed  condition  of 
the  Oriental  Christians  under  the  Mohammedans,  the 
latter  had  but  little  difficulty  in  destroying  the  inde¬ 
pendence  of  the  Armenians  in  Cilicia.  By  various  in¬ 
cursions  of  the  Mohammedans  of  Egypt  into  Cilicia, 


CONFLICTING  FORCES  IN  THE  EAST.  65 

the  Armenians  were  reduced  in  strength  and  in  num¬ 
bers  ;  finally  a  vast  army  of  the  enemies  marched  against 
them.  These  missionary  soldiers  of  Mohammed,  indeed 
brutes  in  character  and  nature,  though  clad  in  clayey 
garments  of  human  forms,  spread  themselves  all  over 
the  country.  No  city,  town,  or  village,  no  building  of 
any  value,  whether  church,  monastery,  or  dwelling,  and 
no  human  being  of  any  age  or  sex  that  fell  in  their 
hands,  was  spared ;  they  slaughtered  every  human  be¬ 
ing  and  burnt  to  ashes  every  building  or  razed  it  to  the 
ground.  In  their  execution  of  the  unfortunate  victims 
fallen  into  their  hands  they  did  not  leave  any  mode 
untried  ;  “  the  deceitful  above  all  things  and  desperately 
wicked  heart  ”  of  a  depraved  human  creature  could  not 
have  suggested  any  new  method  of  torture  that  these 
Mohammedans  did  not  devise  and  experiment  upon 
their  captives.  King  Leo  VI.  and  the  garrison  surren¬ 
dered  on  the  condition  that  their  lives  would  be  spared ; 
the  Egyptian  general  promised  this  on  oath  ;  Leo  was 
fettered,  and  with  his  family  carried  to  Cairo  in  the  elev¬ 
enth  year  of  his  reign  (A.  D.  1375). 

The  king  and  his  family,  after  serving  a  period  of  im¬ 
prisonment  at  Cairo,  were  freed  by  the  mediation  and 
valuable  presents  of  the  king  of  Spain  from  their  im¬ 
prisonment.  Leo,  with  his  queen  and  daughter,  went 
to  Jerusalem ;  there  he  left  them  at  their  own  request 
and  then  visited  the  European  countries.  On  the  19th 
of  November,  A.  D.  1393,  he  ended  his  mortal  career 
at  Paris.  “  Leo,  king  of  Armenia,  was  of  small  stature, 
but  of  intelligent  expression  and  of  well-formed  features. 
His  body  was  carried  to  the  tomb  clothed  in  royaL 


66 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


robes  of  white,  according  to  the  custom  of  Armenia,  with 
an  open  crown  upon  his  head  and  a  golden  sceptre  in 
his  hand.  He  lay  in  state  upon  an  open  bier  hung 


♦  tjiumiupjfut;  tj^nrLUujpnj 
HjhpfJiG,  uiCtniiuCihiu^  ^ MJ n$ * 

CATHERINE  KORNARO,  THE  LAST  QUEEN  OF  ARMENIA. 

with  white  and  surrounded  by  the  officers  of  his  house¬ 
hold,  clothed  all  of  them  in  white  robes.  He  was  buried 
by  the  high  altar  of  the  Church  of  the  Celestine.” 


CONFLICTING  FORCES  IN  THE  EAST. 


6; 

The  enemy  had  rendered  the  country  a  complete 
desert,  and  it  still  remains  so.  The  people  also  fell 
under  the  iron  yoke  of  the  Mohammedan  power,  and 
still  suffer  all  the  injustice  and  cruelties  of  such  a  gov¬ 
ernment  as  that  of  Turkey,  which  has  no  excuse  for  its 
existence. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


THE  ARMENIANS  IN  THE  PERIOD  OF  THEIR 

SUBJECTION. 

The  Mameluke  sultans  of  Egypt  were  the  unhappy 
instruments  in  overthrowing  the  Armenian  dynasty  of 
Cilicia,  but  they  did  not  enjoy  the  privilege  of  ruling 
over  Armenia  or  the  Armenians.  The  course  of  events 
was  taking  a  different  shape. 

By  a  successive  influx  of  the  Mongolian  hordes  into 
Western  Asia,  during  the  tenth,  eleventh,  and  twelfth 
centuries,  the  power  of  the  caliphs  of  Baghdad  was 
broken  into  pieces  and  a  vast  empire  was  formed  by 
the  Seljukian  Turks.  After  the  death  of  the  third 
sovereign,  Malek  Shah,  the  empire  was  divided  into 
various  principalities.  One  of  these  became  a  king¬ 
dom  of  considerable  importance,  and  lying  on  the 
frontier  of  the  Greek  Empire,  having  first  Nice,  after¬ 
wards  Iconium,  its  capital.  The  same  influx  of  the 
Mongolian  invaders  had  not  stopped  yet  on  the  one 
hand ;  on  the  other  hand  the  Western  crusaders  did 
render  some  service  in  reducing  or  annoying  this 
kingdom,  while  the  Mameluke  sultans  of  Egypt  were 
by  no  means  at  peace  with  the  Seljukian  Turks. 

The  turbulent  condition  of  Western  Asia  at  this 
period  (thirteenth  century)  could  afford  the  growth  of 

(68) 


IN  THE  PERIOD  OF  THEIR  SUBJECTION.  69 

a  new  power  or  dynasty,  provided  this  dynasty  was 
in  sympathy  with  the  prevalent  religion,  Mohamme¬ 
danism,  and  congenial  with  the  invading  hordes.  Un¬ 
fortunately  for  the  Christians,  both  in  Western  Asia 
and  Eastern  Europe,  we  find  a  power,  growing  out  of 
a  nomadic  tribe  into  a  formidable  empire,  which  held 
the  Christian  world  in  terror  for  several  centuries.  The 
following  is  the  origin  of  this  empire: — 

“About  the  middle  of  the  thirteenth  century  a  tribe 
of  Turks,  not  of  the  stock  of  Seljuk,  driven  forward 
by  the  Mongol  invaders,  left  their  camping  grounds 
in  Khorasan  and  wandered  into  Armenia  in  search  of 
undisturbed  pasturage.  After  seven  years  of  exile, 
deeming  the  opportunity  favorable  to  return,  they  set 
out  to  their  ancient  possessions.  But  while  fording 
the  Euphrates  the  horse  of  their  leader  fell  with  him, 
and  he  perished  in  the  river.  A  spot  upon  its  banks 
now  bears  the  name  of  the  tomb  of  the  Turk.  Upon 
this  accident  occurring  the  tribe  was  divided  into  four 
companies  by  his  sons,  and  Ertogrul,  the  warlike  head 
of  one  division,  resolved  to  turn  to  the  westward  and 
seek  a  settlement  in  Asia  Minor.  While  pursuing-  his 
course  he  descried  two  armies  in  hostile  array.  Not 
willing  to  be  a  neutral  spectator  of  the  battle,  he  joined 
himself  to  the  apparently  weaker  party  and  his  timely 
aid  decided  the  victory.  '  The  conquered  were  an  in¬ 
vading  horde  of  Mongols,  the  conqueror  was  Aladdin, 
the  Seljukian  sultan  of  Iconium,  and  Ertogrul  received 
from  the  grateful  victor  an  assignment  of  territory  in 
his  dominions  for  himself  and  his  people.  It  consisted 
of  the  rich  plains  around  Shughut,  in  the  valley  of  the 


70 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


Sangarius,  called  the  “  country  of  pasture,”  and  of  the 
Black  Mountains  on  the  borders  of  Phrygia  and  Bithy- 
nia.  The  former  district  was  for  his  winter  abode ;  the 
latter  for  his  summer  encampment.  In  this  domain  his 
son  Othman,  or  Osman,  was  nurtured,  who  became  the 
founder  of  a  dynasty  and  an  empire.  From  him  the 
Turks  of  the  present  day  have  the  name  of  Ottoman, 
or  Osmanli,  which  they  universally  adopt,  rejecting  that 
of  Turk  with  disdain  as  synonymous  with  barbarian.”* 
“  The  shepherd,  warrior,  and  freebooter  were  united 
in  his  (Othman’s)  character.”  He  was  dependent  on 
the  sultan  of  Iconium  during  the  life  of  the  latter, 
“but  he  was  otherwise  free  to  prey  upon  his  neighbors 
and  govern  his  dependents.”  After  the  death  of  the 
sultan,  who  had  no  sons  to  succeed  him,  his  kingdom 
was  divided,  and  Othman  practically  became  an  inde¬ 
pendent  ruler.  He  increased  and  extended  his  power 
and  territories  by  gradual  encroachments  upon  the 
Grecian  dominions  and  repeated  inroads  year  after  year. 
He  captured  Broussa  and  made  it  the  capital  of  his 
government.  His  son  and  successor,  Orchan,  extended 
the  bounds  of  Othman’s  territories  with  astonishing 
rapidity.  He  crossed  the  Stfaits  of  Hellespont  and 
Bosphorus.  He  appointed  his  brother,  Aladdin,  vizier. 
Aladdin  created  the  system  of  the  standing  army  in  the 
year  1330.  “But  the  soldiers  (taken  from  the  Turks) 
proved  intractable  and  could  not  be  brought  to  submit 
to  the  strict  discipline  involved  in  military  organization. 
To  obviate  this  difficulty  the  expedient  was  resorted  to 


*  “The  Turkish  Empire,”  pages  6,  7. 


IN  THE  PERIOD  OF  THEIR  SUBJECTION.  7  I 

of  rearing  up  in  the  doctrine  of  Islam  the  children  of 
the  conquered  Christians,  inuring  them  from  youth  to 
the  profession  of  arms  and  forming  them  into  a  sep¬ 
arate-corps.  This  ‘black  invention,’ as  Von  Hammer 
truly  characterizes  it,  was  adopted  by  Aladdin  at  the 
instance  of  Kara  (the  black)  Chalil  Chendereli,  the  judge 
of  the  army,  and  he  adds,  has  ‘  a  diabolical  complexion, 
much  blacker  than  the  gunpowder  almost  contempo¬ 
raneously  discovered  by  Schwartz  (black)  in  Europe.’ 

“  Hence  arose  the  Janissaries,  a  name  which  the  west¬ 
erns  have  corrupted  from  the  Turkish  Jenicheri,  signify¬ 
ing  the  ‘  new  troops.’ 

“  The  corps  continued  to  be  recruited  by  the  children 
of  captives  taken  in  war,  or  by  those  Christian  subjects, 
an  inhuman  tax  of  every  fifth  child,  or  of  one  child  every 
fifth  year,  being  rigorously  levied  upon  the  families. 
The  number  of  the  Janissaries,  originally  one  thousand, 
was  successively  raised  to  twelve,  to  twenty,  and  to  forty 
thousand,  immediately  connected  with  the  court,  besides 
a  much  larger  number  scattered  through  the  provinces. 
Hence  it  has  been  estimated  that  not  less  than  half  a 
million  Christian  children  were  cruelly  torn  from  their 
parents,  compelled  to  embrace  Islamism,  and  trained  to 
maintain  it  with  the  sword.  At  length,  in  the  reign  of 
Mohammed  IV.  (A.  D.  1648-1687),  the  custom  began  of 
admitting  into  the  regiment  the  children  of  the  soldiers 
themselves  ;  and,  after  this  innovation,  the  Janissaries 
became  a  kind  of  military  caste,  transmitting  from  father 
to  son  the  profession  of  arms. 

“  In  the  days  of  their  pristine  vigor  the  new  troops 
were  distinguished  by  their  fanaticism  and  valor, 


72 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


Through  upwards  of  three  centuries,  marked  by  a  long 
series  of  great  battles,  they  sustained  only  four  signal 
reverses,  chiefly  from  Tamerlane  in  1402,  and  John 
Huniades,  the  Hungarian  general,  in  1442.  But  during 
that  period  they  extended  the  petty  kingdom  of  Broussa 
over  the  vast  dominions  of  Constantine  the  Great,  and 
made  known  their  prowess  from  the  walls  of  Baghdad  to 
the  gate  of  Vienna,  and  from  the  Caspian  Sea  to  the 
Nile,  while  their  name  was  the  common  terror  of 
Christendom.”* 

The  reader  will  see  at  once  the  reason  of  our  ap¬ 
parent  deviation  and  giving  this  brief  account  of  the 
origin  and  growth  of  the  empire  of  the  Turks,  with 
whom  the  Armenians  mostly  had  to  do  during  the  last 
five  centuries,  that  the  brilliant  conquests  have  not  been 
accomplished  by  the  Tartar  Turks,  but  by  the  Christian 
youths,  who  were  cruelly  torn  away  from  their  parents 
and  paternal  Christian  religion,  from  their  early  child¬ 
hood  and  compelled  to  embrace  Islamism,  and  inured  to 
the  profession  of  arms  to  maintain  the  religion  of  Mo¬ 
hammed  with  the  sword. 

A  considerable  number  of  the  Armenians,  driven  from 
the  faces  of  the  Mongolian  invaders,  had  chosen  for 
themselves  the  life  of  voluntary  exiles  in  the  Grecian 

*  “The  Turkish  Empire,”  pages  18,  19,  20. 

The  Janissaries,  who  had  refused  submission  to  the  mandate  of 
Sultan  Mahmoud  II.  to  enter  into  a  regular  military  discipline,  were 
assailed  by  the  “faithful”  as  rebels  against  the  lawful  successor 
of  the  Prophet,  “and  three  hours  sufficed  to  annihilate  the  body 
whose  military  ascendancy  had  once  made  the  sovereigns  of  Eu¬ 
rope  tremble  abroad,  as  it  had  the  sultans  at  home.”  This  event 
took  place  in  1826  in  the  capital  of  the  empire. 


IN  THE  PERIOD  OF  THEIR  SUBJECTION.  73 

provinces,  and  after  the  overthrow  of  their  Christian  inde¬ 
pendence,  towards  the  end  of  the  fourteenth  century — at 
this  time  the  Turkish  Empire  was  nearly  a  century  old, 
Othman  began  to  reign  in  A.  D.  1299 — many  Armenians 
became  a  ready  prey  to  the  fanaticism  of  the  Turks. 

How  many  thousands  of  their  children  were  alienated 
from  their  paternal  homes  and  home  altars  to  adopt  Mo¬ 
hammedanism,  to  swell  the  number  of  the  Janissaries ; 
how  many  thousands  of  families  were  compelled  to  ex¬ 
change  the  religion  of  Christ,  which  is  the  religion  of 
love  and  chastity,  with  the  religion  of  Mohammed, 
which  is  the  religion  of  sensualism  and  tyranny ;  how 
many  thousands  were  massacred  because  they  could  not 
obey  such  an  infernal  behest,  it  is  surely  impossible  to 
tell.  But  suffice  it  to  say  that  these  questions  are  not 
imaginary  possibilities,  but  actualities  performed  by  our 
fanatic  Mohammedans,  and  instances  are  not  wanting 
even  at  this  present  day. 

While  the  expatriated  Armenians  were  so  cruelly 
treated  by  the  Turks  in  the  western  and  central  part  of 
Asia  Minor,  those  in  Armenia  proper  received  one  of 
the  severest  calamities  ever  inflicted  upon  men.  The 
scourger  of  this  infliction  was  the  famous  Mongolian 
savage  and  warrior,  Lenk  Temour,  commonly  called 
Tamerlane.  He  made  himself  the  master  of  an  empire 
extending  from  the  walls  of  China  to  the  shores  of  the 
Mediterranean,  having  Samarcand  for  his  capital.  He 
marched  with  an  immense  army  in  1387  against  the 
Persians  and  subdued  them  within  a  short  time,  and  he 
then  fell  upon  the  Armenians  ;  from  the  city  of  Van  to 
the  city  of  Sebastia  (Sivas),  from  the  one  end  to  the 


74 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


other  of  Armenia,  no  city,  town,  or  village  escaped  the 
notice  of  this  rapacious  potentate,  but  he  reduced  them 
to  ruinous  heaps  and  ashes;  he  slaughtered  a  great 
number  of  the  inhabitants,  sparing  the  youths  as  cap¬ 
tives.  The  inhabitants  of  the  latter  city  (Sivas)  surren¬ 
dered  on  his  solemn  promise  that  “  no  soldier  of  his  will 
lift  up  the  sword  on  them.”  He,  however,  was  true  to 
the  letter,  but  not  to  the  spirit  of  his  promise.  Four 
thousand  soldiers  were  roasted  to  death,  great  multi¬ 
tudes  were  buried  alive,  and  thousands  of  young  and  old, 
whose  hands  and  feet  were  tied,  were  thrown  together 
and  trampled  under  the  feet  of  the  horses.  The  spot 
upon  which  this  barbarous  mode  of  massacre  took  place 
to  this  day  bears  the  name  of  Sev  Hokher ,  signifying  in 
the  Armenian  language  the  “  Black  Plains.” 

He  then  attacked  the  Turks,  who  received  a  signal 
defeat,  and  Sultan  Bajazet  I.  in  vain  attempted  to  effect 
his  escape ;  he  was  captured,  and  he  possibly  died  in 
captivity  about  1402. 

“For  a  few  years  Timour  was  the  undisputed  lord  of 
Asia,  master  of  the  original  seat  of  Ottomans,  reigning 
in  all  the  splendor  of  the  ancient  caliphs  of  Samarcand, 
till  death  removed  him  to  the  presence  of  that  awful 
Being  whose  laws  he  had  violated  and  whose  creatures 
he  had  destroyed.”  He  died  in  1406,  in  his  capital, 
Samarcand. 

The  magnificent  city  of  Constantinople,  after  being 
the  metropolis  of  a  Christian  nation  over  eleven  cent¬ 
uries,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  barbarian  Turks.  In 
vain,  and  too  late,  did  the  Greeks  realize  their  critical 
condition,  and  struggle  against  the  angel  of  death.  The 


IN  THE  PERIOD  OF  THEIR  SUBJECTION.  75 

capture  of  Constantinople  by  the  Turks  filled  the  Euro¬ 
pean  nations  with  consternation.  The  following  is  from 
the  letter  of  Pius  II.,  the  Pope  of  Rome,  who  tried  to 
raise  a-  crusade  against  the  Turks  : — 

“  The  Strait  of  Cadiz  has  been  passed,  and  the  poison 
of  Mohammed  penetrates  even  into  Spain.  *  *  *  In 
the  other  direction,  where  Europe  extends  eastward,  the 
Christian  religion  has  been  swept  away  from  all  the 
shores.  The  barbarian  Turks,  a  people  hated  by  God 
and  man,  issuing  from  the  east  of  Scythia,  have  occupied 
Cappadocia,  Pontus,  Bithynia,  Troas,  Pisidia,  Cilicia, 
and  all  Asia  Minor.  Not  yet  content,  counting  on  the 
weakness  and  dissensions  of  the  Greeks,  they  have 
passed  the  Hellespont,  and  got  possession  of  nearly  all 
the  Grecian  cities  of  Attica,  Boeotia,  Phocis,  Achaia, 
Macedonia,  and  Trace. 

“  Still,  the  royal  city  of  Constantinople  did  remain 
the  pillar  and  head  of  all  the  East,  the  seat  of  patriarch 
and  emperor,  the  sole  dwelling-place  of  Grecian  wis¬ 
dom.  *  *  *  This,  too,  in  our  own  day,  while  the 

Latins,  divided  among  themselves,  forsook  the  Greeks, 
has  that  cruel  nation  of  Turks  invaded  and  spoiled, 
triumphing  over  the  city  that  once  gave  laws  to  all  the 
East. 

“  Nor  is  their  savage  appetite  yet  satiated.  The  lord 
of  that  unrighteous  people,  who  is  rather  to  be  called  a 
dark  brute  than  a  king,  a  venomous  dragon  than  emperor, 
he,  athirst  for  human  blood,  brings  down  huge  forces 
upon  Hungary.  Here  he  harasses  the  Epirotes,  and 
here  the  Albanians;  and,  swelling  in  his  own  pride, 
boasts  that  he  will  abolish  the  most  holy  gospel  and  all 


;6 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


the  law  of  Christ,  and  threatens  Christians  everywhere 
with  chains,  stripes,  death,  and  horrid  torments.” 

Even  the  great  reformer,  immortal  Luther,  “composed 
a  once  popular  prayer,  suited  to  the  times,  to  be  sung  as 
a  hymn  in  the  churches;  and  Robert  Wisdome,  after¬ 
wards  Archdeacon  of  Ely,  appended  a  translation  of  it 
to  the  metrical  version  of  the  Psalms,  by  Steinhold  and 
Hopkins.  It  commences  with  the  lines  : — 

‘  Preserve  us,  Lord,  by  thy  dear  word, 

From  Pope  and  Turk,  defend  us,  Lord.’  ” 

The  cruelties  of  Tamerlane  had  already  caused  thou¬ 
sands  of  Armenian  families  to  emigrate  still  westward ; 
all  these,  and  those  dwelling  in  Cilicia,  Cappadocia, 
Pontus,  and  Asia  Minor,  became  subjects  to  the  Ottoman 
Empire.  Sultan  Mohammed  II.  appointed  Bishop 
Ovaghim,  of  Broussa,  patriarch  over  the  Armenians  in 
his  dominions  in  1461,  with  certain  privileges,  and  as 
well  as  the  representative,  and  the  responsible  one,  for 
his  nation.  This  patriarchate  was  established  at  Con¬ 
stantinople  ;  after  its  capture  it  became  the  capital  of  the 
Ottoman  Empire,  and  so  it  continues  to  this  day. 

After  some  bloody  conflicts  in  Persia  and  Armenia  by 
hostile  claimants  for  supremacy  over  these  countries, 
Shah  Ismail  had  founded  the  Suffavean  dynasty  of  Per¬ 
sia  in  1499.  The  Suffaveans  claimed  that  Ali,  the  fourth 
caliph,  would  have  been  the  immediate  successor  of 
Mohammed  and  the  head  of  Islamism  had  Abubeker 
Omar  and  Osman  not  usurped  themselves  and  seized 
his  right.  They,  moreover,  claimed  lineage  from  Ali, 
and  thus  the  lawful  successors  of  Mohammed.  The 


IN  THE  PERIOD  OF  THEIR  SUBJECTION.  77 

Osmanli  sultans  repudiated  this  right  and  descent. 
This  difference  between  the  Mohammedan  Turks  and 
Persians  furnished  these  two  Islam  nations  with  an  oc¬ 
casion'  of  constant  war  and  bloodshed.  But  alas  !  .the 
noble  land  of  Ararat  had  to  furnish  them  the  battle¬ 
field,  and  the  unfortunate  “  House  of  Togarmah  ”  to 
suffer  the  doleful  consequences  of  their  sanguinary  con¬ 
flicts. 

Shah  Abbas,  “  a  magnificent  barbarian,”  was  one  of  the 
shahs  of  Suffavean  dynasty,  and  he  was  preparing  for 
war  with  the  Turks  in  1605.  blearing  that  he  might  be 
compelled  to  cede  Armenia  to  the  latter,  he  gave  orders 
to  his  army  to  immediately  vacate  as  many  cities  and 
towns  as  possible,  and  to  burn  them  to  ashes,  and  drive 
the  inhabitants  into  captivity.  Within  a  short  time  many 
a  city  and  town  lay  in  ruins,  and  the  country  was  convert¬ 
ed  into  a  fearful  condition  of  desolation.  Thousands 
sought  refuge  in  the  mountains  and  caves.  Some  found 
a  refuge  but  others  found  only  the  enemy,  and  fourteen 
thousand  families  were  led  into  captivity. 

This  great  host  of  captives  was  composed  of  the  ven¬ 
erable  patriarch,  bishops,  priests,  vartabeds,  old  men  and 
women  ;  the  children  of  all  ages ;  mothers  with  their  in¬ 
fants  in  their  arms,  baptizing  them  with  their  tears; 
the  gallant  looking  young  men  and  beautiful  maidens. 
These  all  indiscriminately  were  driven  by  the  Persian 
soldiers  to  the  banks  of  the  Araxes,  where  some  rafts 
and  galleys  were  in  readiness  to  hasten  their  crossing 
the  swift  waters  of  the  river.  Many  gallant  husbands 
and  knightly  brothers  who  were  determined  to  protect 
their  beautiful  but  unfortunate  wives  and  sisters,  even 


78 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


unto  death,  found  watery  graves  in  the  river  Araxes 
from  the  hands  of  the  brutally  lustful  soldiers  and  offi¬ 
cers.  Opposite  Ispahan  these  captives  were  settled  and 
built  New  Jula  (some  write  Julfa).  The  Jula  proper  in 
Armenia  was  destroyed  by  Shah  Abbas.  The  contest 
between  the  Turks  and  Persians  over  Armenia  lasted 
more  than  two  centuries,  beginning  in  1512  by  Sultan 
Selim  I.  till  the  early  part  of  the  last  century.  Hardly 
had  they  signed  a  treaty  of  peace  when  there  was  an¬ 
other  power  creeping  down  the  Caucasus.  Peter  the 
Great  of  Russia  was  too  great  to  miss  the  opportunity 
of  taking  a  portion  of  that  historic  land  of  Ararat.  His 
successors,  too,  very  faithful  to  the  charge  delivered  to 
them  by  him,  though  faithless  to  their  promises,  did  the 
same. 

The  Russians  contended  with  the  Persians  over  a  por¬ 
tion  of  Armenia  and  other  provinces  belonging  to  the 
latter  from  1772-1829.  In  this  contest  the  Armenians 
rendered  a  signal  service  to  the  Russians  and  decided 
the  victory  for  Russia.  The  promise  of  liberty  for 
their  heroic  service  and  bravery  made  by  the  Russians 
was  intended  to  be  abject  servitude  and  ignominous 
exile. 

“From  1813  to  1829  the  Armenians  appeared  to 
think  their  emancipation  at  hand.  Russia  stood  in  need 
of  them  to  make  a  diversion  against  the  Ottoman  forces, 
and  held  out  to  them  the  hope  of  becoming  an  inde¬ 
pendent  principality,  under  the  protection  of  the  Czar. 
Her  promises  were  believed,  and,  in  their  devotion  to 
their  destined  liberator,  they  withstood  for  more  than 
six  weeks  an  army  of  eighty  thousand  Persians  who 


IN  THE  PERIOD  OF  THEIR  SUBJECTION. 


7  9 


were  marching  against  Russia,  and  prevented  them  from 
crossing  their  frontier;  but  these  services  reaped  a  poor 
reward,  for  not  only  were  the  Russians  faithless  to  their 
promises,  but  they  seized  the  opportunity  of  some 
trifling  disturbance  in  the  country  to  lay  violent  hands 
on  the  venerable  Archbishop  Narses,  who  was  dragged 
in  the  first  place  to  St.  Petersburg  and  afterwards  ban¬ 
ished  to  Bassarabia,  whilst  several  of  the  Armenian 
chiefs  were  scattered  in  exile  through  foreign  coun¬ 
tries,  or  carried  off  to  Russia  to  be  heard  of  no 
more.”* 

Russia  also  wrested  from  the  degenerate  Turkish  Em¬ 
pire  at  times,  especially  in  1878,  after  the  Russo-Turk- 
ish  war,  a  large  territory  and  the  important  city  of  Kars 
of  Armenia.  As  it  has  been  already  said,  the  unfor¬ 
tunate  land  of  Ararat  is  now  divided  among  these 
three  empires;  the  Russian,  Persian,  and  Turkish,  the 
largest  portion  of  it  being  still  under  the  rule  of  the 
latter. 

P'rom  the  above  brief  history  given  in  a  cursory  man¬ 
ner  it  will  be  easily  understood  that  the  Armenians  have 
been  subjected  to  all  kinds  of  cruelties.  Owing  to  the 
calamitous  wars,  merciless  persecutions,  voluntary  and 
involuntary  exiles,  and  emigrations  into  different  coun¬ 
tries,  they  have  been  often  justly  compared  to  the  Jews. 
Scattered  like  them  all  over  the  globe  the  Armenians 
are  met  with  in  every  commercial  city  throughout 
Europe  and  Asia.  But  the  great  majority  of  the  nation 
still  dwells  in  the  land  of  Ararat  and  in  the  Turkish 


*  “  Letters  on  Turkey,”  volume  II.,  page  340. 


8o 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


Empire.  There  are  over  two  hundred  thousand  Arme¬ 
nians  in  the  city  of  Constantinople  and  as  many  in 
other  cities  of  European  Turkey  and  other  European 
countries.  The  number  of  the  Armenians  in  Asia 
Minor  and  Armenia  proper  under  the  Turkish  rule  does 
not  fall  below  two  millions  and  a  half.  “  The  three 
Eyalets,  ‘Viliets’  (government)  of  Erzroum,  Diarbekir, 
and  Kurdistan  contain  many  villages,  peopled  entirely 
by  Armenians ;  and  in  these  provinces,  notwithstand¬ 
ing  frequent  emigrations  (owing  to  the  atrocities  of 
the  Kurds  and  Turks),  the  Armenians  preserve  a  nu¬ 
merical  superiority  over  the  Turkish  and  Turcoman 
races.” 

The  Armenians  live  in  their  respective  villages,  towns, 
and  cities.  In  those  cities  and  towns  where  thev  are  not 
the  only  inhabitants,  but  there  are  other  nationalities 
like  the  Turks  and  Greeks,  the  Armenians  live  in  certain 
districts  clustered  by  themselves,  having  sufficient  num¬ 
ber  of  churches  and  schools  attached  to  them  for  their 
religious  and  educational  wants.  The  dwellings  in  the 
villages  and  towns  in  the  interior  are  of  primitive  style, 
either  being  of  unhewn  stone  entirely,  or  half  of  stone 
and  half  of  sun-dried  bricks  with  flat  roofs ;  first  large 
logs  or  beams  laid  crosswise  and' supported  with- strong 
pillars,  then  covered  with  roofs  and  earth  and  dirt,  with 
a  thickness  of  two  or  three  feet,  and  then  hardened  to 
prevent  leaking.  But  sometimes  “  through  idleness  of 
the  hands  the  house  droppeth  through.”  (Ecclesiastes 
x.  1 8.)* 


*  See  also  Proverbs  xix.  13  and  xxvii.  15. 


IN  THE  PERIOD  OF  THEIR  SUBJECTION.  8 1 

Some  of  these  villages  are  founded  on  the  hillsides, 
and  the  roofs  of  the  lower  row  of  houses  are  on  the 
same  level  with  the  street  above,  or  with  the  yards  of 
the  houses  above.  Some  travelers,  careless  in  their 
observations  or  basing  their  statements  on  the  information 
of  others,  betray  incorrectness  in  their  assertion  in  re¬ 
gard  to  these  houses  when  they  state  that  “  the  inhab¬ 
itants  (are)  literally  dwelling  under  ground.” 

The  villagers  and  some  inhabitants  of  the  towns  are 
exclusively  occupied  with  agricultural  pursuits  and  rais¬ 
ing  and  tending  cattle  and  sheep,  their  lands  and  folds 
being  within  a  distance  of  several  miles  from  the  villages 

o 

and  towns.  The  farmers  go  to  their  different  fields  of 
labor  in  the  morning  early  and  return  in  the  evening  to 
their  homes.  They  cannot,  as  the  farmers  of  this  country 
do,  live  on  or  near  their  farms  to  save  time  and  labor  on 
account  of  the  impotency  or  rather  reluctance  of  the 
Turkish  government  to  protect  them  from  the  robbery, 
thefts,  plunders,  and  murders  perpetrated  by  the  Circas¬ 
sians,  the  Kurds,  and  Turks,  especially  the  former  two, 
who  are  human  pasasites  on  the  Christian  inhabitants  of 
the  Empire. 

In  Armenia  many  families  could  be  found,  still  some 
may  be  found,  living  in  a  patriarchal  style  like  the  fami¬ 
lies  of  Jacob  and  Job;  the  younger  sons  and  grandsons 
of  these  families  with  the  hired  servants  tending  the 
flocks  and  following  the  herds  like  Jesse’s  younger  son. 
But  not  the  few  of  them  met,  and  do  still  meet,  the  same 
fate  that  the  servants  of  Job  did,  and  have  been  reduced 
to  the  most  distressing  misery. 

The  life  of  an  Oriental  shepherd  is  a  most  difficult  one, 


82 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


names.  The  shepherds,  however,  often  derive”"  great 
comfort  and  pleasure  in  playing  on  their  flutes,  and  the 
sheep  seem  to  delight  to  listen  to  those  pensive  but 
melodious  tunes,  while  the  shepherd-dogs,  with  their  ac¬ 
credited  faithfulness,  always  follow  the  flocks. 

The  farming  implements  are  also,  like  the  "mode  of 
cultivation,  in  primitive  simplicity.  The  plows,  planters, 


not  only  because  it  is  exposed  to  dangerous  conflicts 
with  robbers,  thieves,  wild  beasts,  and  ravenous  wolves, 
but  also  the  irksome  anxiety  to  find  green  pastures  and 
still  waters  to  lead  the  flocks  thereto,  and  especially  the 
feeling  of  loneliness  day  and  night  and  the  compulsive 
association  with  the  mute  creatures  to  call  them  by  their 


ORIENTAL  CART. 


IN  THE  PERIOD  OF  THEIR  SUBJECTION.  83 

sowers,  cultivators,  reapers,  self-binders,  threshing  ma¬ 
chines,  &c.,  which  are  so  common  in  this  country 
and  save  so  much  labor  and  afford  facility  of  work  and 
increase  the  produce,  are  unknown  among  our  farmers. 
The  employment  of  oxen  and  tamed  buffaloes  instead  of 
horses  in  some  hilly  and  rocky  districts  for  hauling 
heavy  loads  on  farms  might  be  justifiable,  but  in  a  good 
many  places  and  purposes  the  horses  could  be  employed 
with  great  advantage,  but  they  are  not,  except  for  riding 
and  traveling. 

It  is  due  to  the  inexhaustible  fertility  of  the  land  and 
to  the  industry  of  the  people,  and  not  to  the  modern  im¬ 
provements  or  advantageous  circumstances,  that  the  in¬ 
habitants  of  Armenia  do  not  starve.  If  we,  moreover, 
remember  the  absence  of  railroads  and  good  roads,  the 
difficulty  of  transportation  of  the  products  into  the  mar¬ 
ket,  the  dangers  encountered  in  traveling  from  the  high¬ 
way  robbers,  which  paralyze,  to  a  great  extent,  the  spirit 
of  enterprise  and  energy  of  the  farmer,  we  will  be  sur¬ 
prised  to  know  that  not  only  do  they  make  a  living,  but 
also  thousands  of  bushels  of  grain  are  annually  exported 
into  the  European  countries. 

“  The  rural  population,  especially  in  Turkish  Armenia, 
retain  the  manners  and  habits  of  their  forefathers,  and 
are  wholly  employed  in  husbandry  and  in  pasturing  their 
cattle  and  flocks  in  the  rich  plains  of  Armenia.  They  are 
more  advanced  in  agriculture  than  the  Mussulmans ;  and 
if  the  government  would  only  assist  their  efforts  by  the 
construction  of  roads,  and  establishing  facilities  for  in¬ 
tercommunication  throughout  the  country,  agriculture 
would  progress  instead  of  retrograding  as  at  the  present 


84 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


day.  For  example,  in  the  province  of  Van  a  peculiar 
kind  of  wheat  was  formerly  cultivated,  of  excellent  qual¬ 
ity,  and  resembling  in  productiveness  the  many-eared 
wheat  of  Egypt,  but,  from  neglect,  it  has  now  almost 
disappeared.” 

In  every  village,  town,  and  city  of  Armenia  one,  two, 
or  more  churches  are,  according  to  the  size  of  the  place 
and  number  of  the  Christian  inhabitants,  sure  to  be  found. 
Some  of  these  towns  or  villages,  which  are  wholly  or 
mostly  inhabited  by  the  Mohammedans,  who  seized 
the  property  of  the  Christians  and  drove  them  out  of 
their  houses,  have  also  converted  their  churches  into 
mosques. 

Some  of  these  churches  are  of  great  antiquity,  and 
some  of  them  only  a  few  centuries  old,  but  they  invari¬ 
ably  are  substantial  buildings  throughout  the  country. 
One  of  the  peculiarities  of  these  churches  also  is  that 
their  entrances  or  doors  are  quite  small  and  low.  This 
is  not  true  of  the  comparatively  modern  city  churches. 
The  reason  of  this  peculiarity  was,  and  still  is,  in  the  in¬ 
terior,  to  prevent  the  Mohammedan  persecutors  and  con¬ 
querors,  who  pride  themselves  and  take  great  delight  in 
desecrating  the  sacred  edifices  of  the  Christians  by  put¬ 
ting  their  horses  into  the  churches  and  converting  them 
into  stables,  as  the  greatest  insult  to  Christianity  and 
signal  triumph  of  Mohammedanism  over  the  former. 
Sultan  Bajazet,  about  the  end  of  the  fourteenth  century, 
the  historian  informs  us  that,  “  elated  by  his  successes, 
contemplated  a  campaign  in  the  heart  of  Europe,  and 
boasted  that  he  would  one  day  feed  his  horse  at  Rome 
with  a  bushel  of  oats  on  the  altar  of  St.  Peter’s.”  What 


IN  THE  PERIOD  OF  THEIR  SUBJECTION.  8 5 

Bajazet  and  others,  of  the  same  character  and  disposition, 
contemplated  and  boasted  they  would  do  in  Europe,  so 
often  both  long  before  and  after  him,  they  did  perform 
in  Armenia  and  elsewhere,  and  even  in  a  worse  manner, 
as  the  following  verse,  composed  and  recited  by  our 
“  prince  of  poets,”  the  immortal  Nerses  Shnorhali,  in 
the  twelfth  century  on  such  an  occasion,  has  often  been 
repeated  on  similar  occasions,  subsequently  occurring, 
even  to  this  present  time  : — 

“  Close  by  the  altar  in  the  sacred  fane, 

Where  daily  God’s  own  paschal  lamb  was  slain, 

Hadji,  the  impious,  made  vile  harlots  sing, 

And  drunken  broils  throughout  the  temple  ring.” 

The  Armenians  living  in  larger  towns  and  cities  are 
engaged  in  various  occupations  of  life.  The  following 
trades  are  almost  exclusively  in  the  hands  of  the 
Armenians  in  Asiatic  and  partly  in  European  Turkey : 
Locksmithing,  blacksmithing,  coppersmithing,  gold- 
smithing,  watchmaking,  shoemaking,  tailoring,  weaving, 
printing,  dyeing,  carpentry,  masonry,  architecture,  &c. 
And  some  are  grocery,  hardware,  and  all  sorts  of  store¬ 
keepers,  and  some  others  are  peddlers,  traveling  mer¬ 
chants,  merchants,  money-brokers  (Sara/s),  bankers, 
lawyers,  and  physicians.  “  The  Armenian  nation,”  says 
a  writer,  “  is  the  life  of  Turkey.”  Another  says,  “  They 
are  a  noble*  race,  and  have  been  called  ‘the  Anglo-Saxons 
of  the  East.’  They  are  an  active  and  enterprising 
class.  Shrewd,  industrious,  and  persevering,  they  are 
the  bankers  of  Constantinople,  the  artisans  of  Turkey, 
and  the  merchants  of  Western  and  Central  Asia.” 


86 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


Hardly  will  it  be  necessary  to  adduce  numerous  state¬ 
ments  of  many  European  and  American  observers,  some 
of  whom  know  the  Armenians  far  better  than  many  an 
Armenian  himself,  but  let  us  suffice  with  the  following 
testimony  of  Rev.  Dr.  H.  G.  O.  Dwight,  one  of  the 
first  missionaries  of  the  American  Board  among  the 
Armenians  : — 

“  The  principal  merchants  are  Armenians,  and  nearly 
all  the  great  bankers  of  the  (Turkish)  government;  and 
whatever  arts  there  are  that  require  peculiar  ingenuity 
and  skill,  they  are  almost  sure  to  be  in  the  hands  of 
Armenians.  In  one  word,  they  are  the  Anglo-Saxons 
of  the  East.” 

The  above  statements  are  made  undoubtedly  and  com¬ 
paratively  of  the  modern  Armenians,  but  in  order  that 
the  reader  might  not  be  misled  to  lightly  think  of  the 
Armenians  of  old  as  lacking  the  ingenuity,  skill,  and  the 
spirit  of  enterprise,  we  will  cite  also  two  statements  from 
secular  and  sacred  history  to  show  that  the  ancient  Ar¬ 
menians  were  not  much  behind  the  Anglo-Saxonism  of 
the  Armenians  of  the  present  time. 

Herodotus,  the  great  historian,  who  lived  in  the  fifth 
century  before  the  Christian  era,  tells  us  that  next  to  the 
marvelous  city  of  Babylon  were  the  boats,  constructed 
in  Armenia  by  the  Armenian  merchants  in  the  following 
manner  : — 

“  But  the  greatest  wonder  of  all  that  I  saw  in  the  land, 
after  the  city  itself,  I  will  now  proceed  to  mention.  The 
boats  which  come  down  the  river  (Euphrates)  to  Babylon 
are  circular,  and  made  of  skin.  The  frames,  which  are 
of  willow,  are  cut  in  the  country  of  the  Armenians  above 


IN  THE  PERIOD  OF  THEIR  SUBJECTION.  8 J 

Assyria,  and  on  these,  which  serve  for  hulls,  a  covering 
of  skin  is  stretched  outside,  and  thus  the  boats  are  made, 
without  either  stem  or  stern,  quite  round  like  a  shield. 
They  are  then  entirely  filled  with  straw,  and  their  cargo 
is  put  on  board,  after  which  they  are  suffered  to  float 
down  the  stream.  Their  chief  freight  is  wine,  stored  in 
casks  made  of  the  wood  of  the  palm-tree. 

“  They  are  managed  by  two  men,  who  stand  upright 
in  them,  each  plying  an  oar,  one  pulling  and  the  other 
pushing.  The  boats  are  of  various  sizes,  some  larger, 
some  smaller;  the  biggest  reach  as  high  as  five  thousand 
talents  burthen.  Each  vessel  has  a  live  a^s  on  board ; 
those  of  larger  size  have  more  than  one.  When  they 
reach  Babylon  the  cargo  is  landed  and  offered  for  sale, 
after  which  the  men  break  up  their  boats,  sell  the  straw 
and  frames,  and,  loading  their  asses  with  the  skins,  set 
off  on  their  way  back  to  Armenia.  The  current  is  too 
strong  to  allow  a  boat  to  return  up-stream,  for  which 
reason  they  make  their  boats  of  skins  rather  than  wood. 
On  their  return  to  Armenia  they  build  fresh  boats  for 
the  next  voyage.”  * 

The  prophet  Ezekiel,  in  his  enumeration  of  the  ancient 
merchant  nations  who  were  engaged  in  mercantile  pur¬ 
suits  with  the  merchant  nation  of  the  Phoenicians  in  the 
marts  of  the  commercial  city  of  Tyre,  speaks  of  the 
Armenians  under  the  popular  appellation  of  “  the  house 
of  Togarmah.”  “They  of  the  house  of  Togarmah 
traded  in  thy  fairs  with  horses  and  horsemen  and 
mules.”  (Ezekiel  xxvii.  14.) 

The  descendants  of  Togarmah,  on  account  of  their 


*  Rawlinson’s  Herodotus,  book  I.,  page  104. 


88 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


industry,  ingenuity,  and  intelligence,  have  accumulated 
great  wealth,  and  demanded,  yea,  extorted,  from  the  in¬ 
dolent  Turks  such  high  trusts  in  the  government  and 
its  affairs ;  but  by  the  jealousy,  cruelty,  and  cupidity  of 
the  latter  many  of  them  have  been  precipitated  from  their 
elevated  state  and  prosperity  into  terrible  misery,  often 
ending  only  with  execution,  as  the  following  and  similar 
inscriptions  on  their  tombstones  and  on  the  pages  of 
history  will  abundantly  prove  : — 

“  The  most  remarkable  circumstance  is  that  those  Ar¬ 
menians  who  have  undergone  execution  have  the  modes 
of  their  death  commemorated  on  their  sepulchres  by  the 
effigies  of  men  being  hung,  strangled,  or  beheaded.  In 
explanation  it  is  stated  that  having  become  wealthy  by 
their  industry,  they  suffered  as  victims  to  the  cupidity  of 
former  governments,  not  as  criminals;  and  hence  their 
ignominious  death  was  really  honorable  to  them  and 
worthy  of  a  memorial.  An  inscription  on  one  of  the 
tombs  of  this  class  is  as  follows  : — 

‘  You  see  my  place  of  burial  here  in  this  verdant  field. 

I  give  my  goods  to  the  robbers, 

My  soul  to  the  regions  of  death  ; 

The  world  I  leave  to  God, 

And  my  blood  I  shed  in  the  Holy  Spirit. 

You  who  meet  my  tomb, 

Say  for  me 

“  Lord,  I  have  sinned.  ” 

1197.’  ”* 

It  was  Sultan  Mohammed  II.  who  first  appointed 

*The  Turkish  Empire,  page  261. 

The  date  possibly  is  the  Armenian,  which  begins  551  A.  D., 
which  brings  up  to  1748  A.  D. 

Two  wealthy  and  influential  Armenians,  who  were  especially 


IN  THE  PERIOD  OF  THEIR  SUBJECTION.  89 

Bishop  Ovaghim,  of  Broussa,  patriarch  over  the  Arme¬ 
nians  in  his  dominions  in  1461.  This  custom  of  appoint¬ 
ing  of  the  patriarchs  by  the  sultans  of  Turkey  continued 
for  a  long  time.  But  it  did  not  prove  to  be  the  proper 
way  on  account  ol  the  abuses  of  procuring  the  office, 
and  unqualified  persons  often  obtaining  the  appointment 
by  the  influence  of  their  friends. 

The  nation,  therefore,  obtained  the  right  of  appoint¬ 
ing  their  own  patriarch  from  the  Porte;  this  national 
appointment,  however,  had  to  be  ratified  by  the  sultan 
of  Turkey. 

At  two  different  times  two  more  grants  were  received 
from  the  Porte,  namely,  to  have  two  distinct  councils, 
the  one  ecclesiastical  and  the  other  civil.  The  former 
was  composed  of  fourteen  clergymen,  the  latter  of  twen¬ 
ty  members  from  the  laity,  and  the  members  of  these 
councils  were  also  elected  by  universal  suffrage;  the 
patriarch  was  the  chairman  of  both  of  these  councils. 

The  Ecclesiastical  Council  has  its  sphere  of  action  in 
religious  matters  and  is  the  the  highest  authority  in  the 
Turkish  Empire.  The  Civil  Council  is  the  civil  au¬ 
thority,  and  has  four  sub-councils  under  its  supervision 
through  which  to  operate,  namely,  Council  of  Revenue, 
Council  of  Expenditure,  Judicatory  Council,  and  Educa¬ 
tional  Council.  These  names  indicate  the  sphere  of 
their  activity. 

This  mode  of  operation  or  division  of  the  work  is 
carried  out  into  the  provinces  of  the  Turkish  Empire 

connected  with  the  government,  were  beheaded  in  the  middle  of 
the  last  century,  and  four  others  were  executed  in  1817,  who  also 
were  holders  of  high  places  in  the  governmental  affairs. 


90 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


wherever  there  are  sufficient  Armenians  to  justify  the 
existence  of  these  councils  And  all  the  councils  and 
sub-councils  in  the  provinces  and  in  the  districts  of  the 
capital  are  amenable  to  the  General  Ecclesiastical  and 
Civil  Councils,  and  these  councils  are  responsible  to 
the  patriarch  and  the  patriarch  to  the  Porte. 

Although  such  grants  have  been  made  and  privileges 
accorded  and  many  other  promises  of  reforms  uttered 
and  recorded  by  the  Turkish  government  at  various 
times  to  ameliorate  the  oppressed  condition  of  the  Ar¬ 
menians,  yet  most  of  these  grants,  privileges,  and  prom¬ 
ises  now  have  their  existence  only  as  dead  letters. 

It  has  been  said  before  that  the  Armenians  are  now, 
more  or  less,  scattered  all  over  the  globe  like  the  Jews. 
The  condition  of  those  in  India  is  far  better  than  that 
of  those  in  Persia,  Turkey,  or  Russia.  Being  subject 
to  a  comparatively  just  and  Christian  government,  they 
enjoy  all  civil  and  religious  privileges,  consequently 
they  are  both  wealthy  and  influential,  and  some  hold 
important  positions  in  the  queen’s  government  in  India. 

At  Calcutta  they  have  a  bishop,  churches,  schools, 
and  an  Armenian  press.  They  have  better  educational 
advantages  both  in  the  English  and  the  Armenian  lan¬ 
guages.  The  Armenians  are  also  conversant  with  the 
language  of  the  country  wherever  they  are  found. 

The  Armenians  in  Persia,  or  under  the  Persian  rule, 
have  not  a  very  desirable  condition,  from  a  religious  and 
educational  point  of  view.  And  those  especially  living 
in  Western  Persia  or  Pers-Armenia,  are  also  subject  to 
all  sorts  of  cruelties  by  the  hands  of  the  Kurds,  with 
whom  they  unfortunately  live. 


IN  THE  PERIOD  OF  THEIR  SUBJECTION.  9 1 

The  most  of  them,  however,  are  at  this  time  free  from 
the  present  tribulation  that  their  brethren  are  under¬ 
going  in  the  hands  of  “  the  unspeakable  Turk.”  In  the 
summer  of  1890  many  Armenians  found  refuge  in 
Persia  from  the  atrocities  of  the  Kurds  and  Turks. 
The  shah  of  Persia  is  very  anxious  to  get  as  many  Ar¬ 
menians  as  possible  into  his  kingdom,  knowing  the  value 
of  their  industry,  intelligence,  and  useful  occupations. 

Russia  having  wrested  from  Persia  and  Turkey  a 
large  portion  of  Armenia  in  this  century,  there  are  now 
over  one  million  Armenians  in  the  Russian  provinces  of 
Armenia,  beside  a  good  number  of  those  in  the  com¬ 
mercial  cities  of  the  same  empire. 

The  financial  condition  of  the  Armenians  in  Russia 
might  be  pronounced  pretty  fair.  H  The  Anglo-Saxons 
of  the  East  ”  have  proved  their  shrewdness  in  business 
and  industry  in  character  there,  too,  and,  according  to  a 
recent  writer,  in  the  city  of  Tiflis  money  is  controlled 
by  the  Armenians.  But  from  a  religious  and  national 
point  of  view  the  Armenians  in  Russia  are  in  a  serious 
danger.  The  policy  of  die  government  is  to  Russianize 
other  nations,  both  ethnically  and  ecclesiastically. 

The  Russian  government  took  occasion  of  a  trifling 
disturbance  and  issued  an  order  to  take  possession  of 
the  Armenian  schools,  and  this  order  was  carried  out  by 
military  force  in  1885,  while  the  late  Catholicos  had  not 
yet  succeeded  to  his  predecessor’s  vacant  post. 

The  properties,  consisting  in  real  estate  of  the  mon¬ 
astery  of  Echmiadzin,  where  the  seat  of  the  Catholicos  is, 
were  seized  upon  by  the  government,  and  the  monastery 
and  its  schools  were  supported  by  the  governmental 


92 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


money  for  a  few  years,  but  this  support  was  gradually 
reduced,  so  much  so  that  now  the  few  inmates  of  the 
monastery  can  hardly  live  on  it,  and  the  monastery  is 
not  able  to  support  any  schools  as  it  used  to  do  before 
with  the  plenteous  income  from  the  numerous  villages 
and  farms. 

The  very  country  where  the  forefathers  of  the  Arme¬ 
nians  lived  centuries  before  the  Russian  nation  had  any 
existence,  or,  if  any,  it  was  in  the  embryonic  state  among 
the  barbarous  Scythians,  and  by  the  very  bravery  and 
lives  of  many  Armenians  this  country  was  extorted  from 
the  Turks  for  Russia,  and  it  is  strange,  but  nevertheless 
a  fact,  that  the  Armenian  cannot  own  land  in  his  own 
country,  because  he  is  a  subject  of  the  Russian  govern¬ 
ment. 

In  the  summer  of  1890,  while  the  country  of  Arme¬ 
nia,  under  the  Turkish  rule,  was  in  a  turbulent  condition, 
some  Armenians  crossed  the  boundary  line  and  fled 
into  an  Armenian  monastery  in  Russian  Armenia  for  a 
refuge  from  the  Kurds  and  Turks.  Most  naturally  were 
they  protected  and  cared  for  by  the  priests  and  monks 
in  the  monastery.  This  was  a  pretense  for  the  Govern¬ 
ment  to  demand,  or  rather  order,  the  imprisonment,  and 
afterwards  the  exile,  of  those  clergymen  who  sympa¬ 
thized  with  their  persecuted  brethren  and  cared  for 
them. 

It  will  be  a  violation  of  our  intention  and  the  limits 
of  brevity  of  this  present  work,  to  dilate  on  this  subject, 
to  point  out  the  unjust  policy  of  the  Russian  govern¬ 
ment,  and  her  constant  effort  to  absorb  the  Armenian 
nation  and  church  in  her  dominions  by  compulsive 


IN  THE  PERIOD  OF  THEIR  SUBJECTION.  93 

teaching  of  the  Russian  language  instead  of  the  Arme¬ 
nian  in  the  Armenian  schools. 

The  Armenians  have  unfortunately  learned  cordially 
to  hate  the  Turks  on  account  of  their  cruelties  for  cent¬ 
uries.  The  Russians  also  are  making  themselves  as  de¬ 
testable  as  the  Turks,  not  only  to  the  Armenians,  but 
also  to  all  other  nations  who  love  justice  and  delight  in 
mercy. 

A  proximate  estimate  of  the  number  of  Armenians 
in  different  countries  in  the  Avorld  may  be  given  as 
follows  :  Two  million  five  hundred  thousand  in  the  Turk¬ 
ish  Empire,  both  in  Armenia  proper  and  in  the  dif¬ 
ferent  parts  of  the  empire ;  one  million  three  hundred 
thousand  in  Russian  Armenia  and  other  parts  of  the 
same  empire ;  one  hundred  thousand  in  Persia,  India, 
and  other  parts  of  Asia ;  twenty-five  thousand  in  the 
Austrian  Empire ;  seventy-five  thousand  scattered  in 
various  countries  of  Europe,  America,  and  the  rest  of 
the  world;  four  millions  the  total. 

The  Armenians,  besides  the  language  of  the  country 
wherever  they  may  be  found,  speak  their  own  tongue, 
which  is  a  distinct  language  of  itself,  and  belongs  to  the 
Indo-Germanic  family  of  languages.  There  are,  how¬ 
ever,  two  Armenian  languages,  the  ancient  and  modern; 
the  former  was  the  language  of  the  pre-Christian  era, 
and  after  the  conversion  of  the  nation  to  Christianity, 
and  the  translation  of  the  Bible  into  it,  it  became  the 
standard  language  of  the  literature.  “  In  its  syntactical 
structure  the  old  Armenian  resembles  most  nearly  the 
classical  Greek.”  Its  close  relation  to  the  Sanskrit,  an¬ 
cient  Persian,  Greek,  and  Latin  might  be  pointed  out  by 


94 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


numerous  words  commonly  found  in  these  and  Arme¬ 
nian  languages. 

The  modern  Armenian  language  has  been  elevated  to 
the  dignity  of  a  respectable  language  almost  in  this  cent¬ 
ury  by  numerous  original  and  translated  works  and 
periodicals  published  in  various  countries,  especially  by 
the  translation  of  the  Bible.  The  relation  of  this  lan¬ 
guage  to  the  ancient  Armenian  might  well  be  compared 
with  that  of  the  modern  Greek  to  the  ancient  Greek  lan¬ 
guage. 

The  Armenian  literature  of  the  pre-Christian  era  has 
not  survived,  excepting  a  few  fragmentary  songs,  which 
lingered  even  until  the  time  of  Moses  of  Khorene,  in 
whose  history  of  Armenia  they  are  preserved,  and  the 
inscriptions  of  the  kings  of  Van — if  we  admit  with 
some — are  “  the  oldest  specimens  of  the  Asiatic  branch 
of  the  Indo-Germanic  family.” 

Christianity  brought  with  it  into.  Armenia  a  great  love 
for  learning.  Armenian  youths  flocked  into  the  schools 
of  Athens,  Alexandria,  and  Constantinople.  Most  of 
them  engaged  themselves  in  translating  many  valuable 
works  from  the  Greek  and  other  languages  into  the 
Armenian.  A  recent  writer  speaks  of  these  translators 
in  this  manner:  “Some  of  them  attained  celebrity  in 
their  chosen  pursuits.  To  this  tendency  we  owe  the 
preservation,  in  Armenian,  of  many  works  that  have  per¬ 
ished  in  their  original  languages.” 

The  original  works  consist  of  theological  and  expos¬ 
itory  discourses,  commentaries,  histories,  sacred  songs, 
devotional  works,  &c.  “  The  existing  literature  of 

the  Armenians  dates  from  the  fourth  century,  and  is 


IN  THE  PERIOD  OF  THEIR  SUBJECTION.  95 

essentially  and  exclusively  Christian.”  This  “  literature 
is  rich  and  continuous,  uninterrupted  through  all  the  mid¬ 
dle  ages.  It  has  furnished  the  philosophers,  historians, 
theologians,  and  poets.” 

“  They  (the  Armenians)  are  a  people  of  fine  physical 
development,  often  of  high  stature  and  powerful  frame, 
industrious  and  peaceable,  yet  more  jealous  of  their 
rights  and  liberties  than  any  other  Oriental  race.  They 
passionately  cherish  the  memory  of  their  fathers,  and 
preserve  the  use  of  their  national  language,  which  be¬ 
longs  to  the  Indo-European  family,  and  possess  a  lit¬ 
erature  of  considerable  importance.”* 

“  These  Armenians  are  a  superb  race  of  men ;  their 
costume,  which  is  plain  and  noble,  displays  to  advantage 
their  athletic  forms ;  their  physiognomy  is  intelligent ; 
they  have  florid  complexions,  blue  eyes,  and  beards  of 
lightish  color.  They  are  the  Swiss  of  the  East.  In¬ 
dustrious,  peaceable,  and  regular  in  their  habits,  they  re¬ 
semble  them  also  in  calculation  and  love  of  gain.  The 
women  are  lovely;  their  features  are  pure  and  delicate, 
and  their  serene  expression  recalls  the  beauty  of  the 
women  of  the  British  Islands  or  of  the  peasants  of  Swit¬ 
zerland. ”f 

In  education  the  Armenians  surpass  all  other  nations 
of  Western  Asia,  and  many  might  even  fairly  be  com¬ 
pared  with  the  people  of  some  Roman  Catholic  countries. 
But  a  great  majority,  safely  may  it  be  said,  yet  sit  in  the 
darkness  of  ignorance  and  superstition.  This  is  a  sad 
fact.  But  it  is  impossible  to  be  otherwise,  as  long  as 

*  “  Bible  Lands,”  page  367.  By  Van  Lennep. 

f  Lamartine,  “Voyage  en  Orient,”  volume  II.,  page  190. 


96 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


the  sceptre  of  power  is  in  the  hand  of  Islamism.  “  Is- 
lamism  it  is  which  palsies  every  effort  to  reform  through¬ 
out  the  empire.”  “  The  conviction  is  inevitable,  that 
until  the  power  of  Islamism  is  broken,  the  true  reforma¬ 
tion  of  this  land  is.  an  impossibility.”  Islamism  is  a 
moral  and  religious  photophobia;  it  dreads  the  light  of 
civilization  and  Christianity. 

As  the  religion  of  the  Armenians,  Christianity,  though 
not  in  its  simplicity  and  purity  now  as  it  was  in  the  be¬ 
ginning,  is  infinitely  superior  to  the  religion  of  Mo¬ 
hammed;  so  the  character  of  the  Armenians,  it  might  be 
said,  is  in  the  same  proportion,  superior  to  that  of  the 
Mohammedans,  notwithstanding  all  the  evil  influences 
of  the  latter  upon  the  former.  The  Armenians,  more¬ 
over,  lack  the  volatility  of  the  Greeks  and  the  laxity  of 
the  Jews. 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE  PRESENT  ARMENIAN  TROUBLES. 

The  previous  brief  history  of  this  people,  especially 
since  the  introduction  of  Christianity  into  Armenia,  has 
furnished  the  reader  with  sufficient  facts  to  convince 
him  that  the  real  trouble  of  this  nation  began  from  the 
time  of  their  conversion  to  Christianity,  and  has  come 
down  to  the  present  time. 

What  the  Armenians  are  now  suffering  is  not  less  than 
what  they  have  suffered  in  the  fifth  century  from  the 
hands  of  the  fire-worshiping  Persians.  Had  they 
then  received  Zoroastrianism,  forced  upon  them,  they 
might  have  changed  the  entire  aspect  of  the  history  of 
Western  Asia,  or  had  they  embraced  Mohammedanism 
in  the  seventh  century,  when  fanatic  missionary  soldiers 
of  Mohammed  fell  upon  them,  sword  in  hand,  and  mas¬ 
sacred  thousands  upon  thousands  in  cold  blood,  be¬ 
cause  they  refused  to  accept  the  sensual  religion  of  a 
sensual  and  bloody  man,  again  the  history  of  Western 
Asia  might  have  been  differently  written  from  the 
present. 

When  their  infant  sons  were  torn  away  from  their 
bosoms  by  the  Ottoman  rulers,  and  reared  in  Islamism 

(97) 


/ 


98  THE  ARMENIANS. 

and  inured  to  the  profession  of  arms,  whose  skill,  vigor, 
and  courage  shook  the  foundations  of  the  then  civilized 
world,  then,  we  say,  had  the  Armenians  also  renounced 
their  religion  and  professed  Mohammedanism  and  en¬ 
tered  the  army,  they  would  have  brought  “  to  bear  on 
the  problems  of  the  battle-field  all  the  subtlety  of  in¬ 
tellect  developed  by  ages  of  mental  activity,”  unques¬ 
tionably  would  they  have  saved  the  Turkish  Empire 
from  the  inevitable  dissolution  into  which  it  is  swiftly 
falling  on  account  of  the  indolent  and  obtuse  char¬ 
acter  of  the  Mongolian  Turk.  This  also  would  un¬ 
doubtedly  have  given  a  different  feature  to  the  Ottoman 
history. 

Why  are  the  Armenians  now  so  persecuted,  oppressed, 
tortured,  and  thrown  into  dungeons  of  the  vilest  descrip¬ 
tion,  where  they  receive  whippings  and  tortures  daily, 
and  are  allowed  only  two  loaves  of  bread  a  day  on 
which  to  live?  Why  are  their  beautiful  daughters  ab¬ 
ducted,  their  wives  ravished,  and  they  themselves  massa¬ 
cred  by  the  Kurds,  Circassians,  and  Turks?  Not  be¬ 
cause  they  belong  to  a  different  nationality,  but  because 
they  belong  to  a  different  religion — they  are  Christians. 
For  the  Kurds  are  mostly  the  descendants  of  the  ancient 
Parthians,  and  are  related  more^to  the  Armenians  than 
to  the  Turks.  But  suffice  it  that  they  are  nominally 
Mohammedans  to  be  let  loose  upon  the  Christians,  and 
go  unpunished  by  the  Mohammedan  government  for 
their  atrocities  upon  the  innocent. 

So  we  beg  the  reader  to  bear  in  mind  that  the  present 
troubles  of  the  Armenians  are  the  continuation  of  the 
old  conflict,  first  between  Christianity  and  Paganism, 


THE  PRESENT  ARMENIAN  TROUBLES.  99 

then  between  Christianity  and  Mohammedanism,  and 
now  it  is  the  same  contest  with  Pagan-Mohammedan- 
ism.* 

But  within  the  last  fifteen  years  the  Turkish  govern¬ 
ment  gave  a  different  aspect  to  this  old  conflict  in  order 
to  justify  her  policy  of  persecution.  This  rapidly  de¬ 
caying  Mohammedan  power,  in  the  last  quarter  of  this 
century,  could  not  persecute  Christianity — in  fact  she 
is  vigorously  doing  it — and  avoid  the  righteous  indig¬ 
nation  of  the  Christian  nations,  if  she  had  not  given  a 
political  tint  to  her  action. 

Thus  it  was  that  when  Sir  William  White,  the  English 
ambassador  at  Constantinople,  asked  the  reason  of  the 
arrest  of  certain  Armenians  and  their  being  tortured,  he 
received  the  answer  that  they  were  conspirators,  and 
certain  revolutionary  documents  were  found  with  them. 
This  satisfied  him ;  whether  the  charge  was  true  or  false, 
hardly  did  he  care  to  know. 

Supposing  there  is  a  revolutionary  movement  among 
the  Armenians :  let  us  ask,  what  causes  this  ?  The 
writer  does  not  claim  to  have  an  extensive  erudition, 
yet  however  limited  may  his  acquaintance  with  history 
be,  of  one  thing  he  is  positive,  that  no  people  on  earth 
will  ever  revolt  against  a  government,  unless  they  are 
dissatisfied  with  the  operations  of  the  government  under 
which  they  are.  Revolution  always  carries  with  it  the 
idea  of  misgovernment,  oppression,  and  injustice  on  the 

*  It  is  meant  by  Pagan-Mohammedanism,  the  Pagans  and  Moham¬ 
medans  combined,  for  the  Kurds  and  Circassian  are  rather  Pagans 
than  Mohammedans  ;  they  profess  it  in  order  to  be  exempt  from 
the  persecutions  they  would  otherwise  incur. 


1 


IOO 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


part  of  the  government;  dissatisfaction,  love  of  self-de¬ 
fense,  and  love  of  liberty  on  the  part  of  the  people. 

It  will  hardly  be  possible  here  to  give  such  instances 
of  injustice,  cruelties,  and  outrages  to  which  the  Chris¬ 
tians  are  subjected,  and  the  indifference  and  impotency 
of  the  government  to ‘protect  them,  and  even  encourag¬ 
ing  the  wicked  to  increase  his  wickedness,  for  such  in¬ 
stances  are  too  numerous  and  too  painful  to  be  depicted 
here. 


CARAVANSARY,  OR  KHAN. 


It  was  the  unpleasant  experience  of  the  writer,  with 
his  five  young  companions  in  travel,  to  fall  into  the 
hands  of  the  merciless  Circassians  about  fifteen  years 
ago.  The  owner  of  the  horses,  we  were  riding  while  on 
our  journey,  was  with  us,  and  we  were  almost  within 
sight  of  the  caravansary,  when  six  well-armed  Circas¬ 
sians  attacked  us.  They  showered  upon  us  abusive  lan¬ 
guage  and  blows  with  their  weapons,  took  every  bit  of 


THE  PRESENT  ARMENIAN  TROUBLES. 


IOI 


money  they  found,  and  stripped  some  of  the  company 
of  their  coats,  some  of  their  shoes  and  “  fezes.”  After 
giving  us  a  good  treatment  of  flagellation  they  loaded 
two  of  our  horses  with  their  plunder,  each  having  his 
own  horse  to  ride,  and  drove  away.  They  crossed 
the  mountain  and  were  out  of  sight  within  a  short 
time. 

Leaving  all  the  romance  connected  with  this  experi¬ 
ence,  when  we  went  to  the  same  city  the  following  year 
we  found  these  very  Circassians  there  living  in  the  house 
of  a  Turk,  and  an  officer,  whom  even  the  pasha  of  the 
city  would  like  to  have  on  his  side  for  his  influence. 
Our  convictions  concurred  with  the  advice  of  the  mis¬ 
sionaries  to  let  the  matter  alone  and  not  attempt  to  get 
them  arrested,  or  demand  redress,  unless  we  wished  to 
imperil  our  own  lives  and  the  lives  of  our  friends  also. 

The  following  is  the  language  of  an  American  mission¬ 
ary,  who  is  still  in  Asia  Minor,  and  he  knows  whereof 
he  speaks  by  a  personal  knowledge : — 

“  It  may  be  laid  down  as  a  universal  fact,  that  in  the 
Turkish  courts  justice  is  never  rendered  simply  for 
justice’s  sake.  It  is  impossible  to  convey  to  the  mind 
of  any  one  who  has  not  actually  seen  it  any  idea  of  the 
utter  prostitution  of  the  very  name  of  government  in  the 
provincial  towns,  or  the  bold  effrontery  with  which  the 
highest  officers  will  shift  their  ground  from  one  untenable 
falsehood  to  another  in  dodging  the  necessity  of  per¬ 
forming  the  plainest  duties.  The  pretense  that  the  gov¬ 
ernment  has  removed  the  disabilities  and  disadvantages 
of  the  non-Moslem  inhabitants  is  a  woeful  falsehood,  and 
the  local  government,  in  spite  of  the  contrary  position 


102 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


known  to  have  been  assumed  by  their  superiors,  to  this 
day  do  not  blush  calmly  to  repeat  and  enforce  the  obso¬ 
lete  law,  that  the  testimony  of  non-Moslem  cannot  be 
taken  for  anything  against  that  of  the  faithful !  Since 
the  writing  of  this  article  began  three  Christian  butchers 
in  a  neighboring  town  have  been  cast  into  a  dungeon  of 
the  vilest  description  for  the  sole  offense  of  refusing  to 
furnish  meat  on  the  Sabbath.  When  the  Protestant 
preacher  ventured  to  remonstrate  with  the  local  gov¬ 
ernor  he  was  insulted,  and  upon  answering  rather  too 
plainly,  was  seized  with  brutal  violence  and  cast  into  the 
same  prison.  This  is  but  one  instance  of  cases  that  are 
constantly  occurring,  and  the  discouraging  part  of  it  is, 
that  when  appeals  are  made  to  higher  authorities  the 
plaintiff  finds  himself  at  war  with  a  league  of  shameless 
and  intriguing  officials,  bound  in  self-defense  to  support 
and  defend  one  another  in  all  conceivable  wickedness  by 
any  amount  of  falsehoods,  and  giving  and  receiving  of 
bribes.” 

“  The  tears  of  Armenia  ”  is  the  title  of  a  little  book 
which  contains  the  report  of  Vartabed  Paul  Nathanian,* 
who  was  appointed  in  1878  by  the  patriarch,  Bishop 
Nerses,  and  by  the  ecclesiastical  and  civic  councils  of 
Constantinople,  to  take  charge  of  the  diocese  of  Palu  in 
Armenia,  While  there  this  noble  prelate,  following  the 
example  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  traveled  through  the 
country,  visiting  his  flock,  and  reported  the  condition  of 
the  people.  His  report  was  published.  With  great  pro¬ 
priety,  he  begins  his  preface  in  the  following  manner  : 

*Rev.  Dr.  Nathanian  is  an  exile  for  his  life  by  the  Turkish  gov¬ 
ernment,  mostly  for  this  report. 


THE  PRESENT  ARMENIAN  TROUBLES.  103 

“  Tears  and  misery,  behold,  these  two  painful  words  are 
chosen  for  the  theme  of  this  present  work,  of  which  with 
an  aching  heart  will  I  speak,  and  still  more  painful  it  is, 
that  the  esteemed  reader  will  hear  undeniable  truths.” 

The  facts  recorded  in  this  pamphlet  are  too  painful  to 
be  translated  into  the  English  language.  The  crimes  of 
the  Kurds  and  the  injustice  of  the  governmental  officers 
perpetrated  upon  the  Christian  Armenians  run  from  the 
commonest  forms  of  robbery  and  cruelty  to  the  vilest 
forms  of  abduction,  assault,  torture,  and  murder. 

The  report  of  this  venerable  Vartabed  Nathanian  was 
only  verification  and  confirmation  of  the  oppressed  con* 
dition  of  the  Christians  in  the  interior  more  or  less 
known  before.  For,  when  in  the  autumn  of  1876,  the 
European  powers  sent  their  representatives  to  meet  at 
Constantinople  to  consider  the  cruelties  of  the  Turkish 
government,  the  massacre  of  the  Christian  Bulgarians 
and  other  disturbances  in  the  empire  Bishop  Nerses  at¬ 
tempted  also  to  draw  the  attention  of  the  conference  to 
the  condition  of  the  Armenians.  But  this  attempt  or 
the  Armenian  cry  was  drowned  in  the  tumultuous  roar  of 
the  mighty  powers.^  The  conference  itself  was  futile;  a 
peaceful  adjustment  of  the  differences  was  not  agreed 
upon.  Consequently  the  Russo-Turkish  war  broke  out. 
Again  Armenia  had  to  furnish  the  battle-field  for  these 
two  formidable  combatant  nations  in  Asia. 

Russia  was  apparently  fighting  for  the  oppressed 
Christians.  The  Turks  were  called  upon  to  combat  with 
a  Christian  nation.  The  ignorant  Turkish  soldiers  and 
the  bashi-bazouks ,*  Circassians,  and  Kurds,  who  are 


*  Literally  “  loose-headed  ”  in  the  sense  of  volunteers. 


104 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


incapable  of  knowing  the  difference  between  an  Arme¬ 
nian  and  Russian,  between  a  Greek  or  Bulgarian,  it  is 
enough  that  all  of  them  go  under  the  common  name, 
Christian.  It  was  their  frequent  utterance,  “  Ghiaurhlari 
Kesmeli  ”  “  the  infidels  must  be  killed.” 

Even  when  the  government  had  no  war  whatever  there 
was  no  safety  for  the  Christian,  how  much  less  could  any 
tranquillity  now  be  expected.  Especially  the  mountains 
were  infested  by  those  who  deserted  the  army,  and  the 
highway  robbers  were  at  the  fullest  exercise  of  their 
predatory  powers. 

Who  suffered  the  worst,  served  the  most,  and  received 
nothing  in  Asiatic  Turkey?  The  Armenians.  The 
Turkish  troops,  by  all  means,  would  avoid  on  their  way 
to  the  battle-field  to  lodge  at  a  Turkish  village,  but 
always  aim  to  lodge  at  an  Armenian,  where  even  the 
most  insignificant  soldier  was  a  despot.  He  must  have 
everything  he  wishes  for  nothing,  and  he  will  not  depart 
without  giving  some  trouble  to  his  Christian  host. 

The  writer,  who  was  not  very  far  from  the  battle-field, 
especially  being  on  the  main  road  leading  to  it,  has  seen 
these  things  with  his  own  eyes.  He  may,  therefore,  with 
perfect  truthfulness  say  that  these  soldiers  did  not  leave 
out  from  the  category  of  their  deeds  anything  evil,  but 
the  good  only.  However,  there  were  some  among  them 
possessed  of  a  terrible  fear  of  a  judgment  to  come,  and 
knowing  that  their  end  was  at  hand  they  seemed  to 
be  getting  ready  to  die  and  did  not  take  a  great  delight 
in  mischief-doing. 

The  fearful  consequence  of  this  war  was  the  ignomin¬ 
ious  defeat  of  Turkey.  Thus  when  the  representatives 


BISHOP  NERSES,  THE  LATE  PATRIARCH  OF  CONSTANTINOPLE. 


106  THE  ARMENIANS. 

of  the  European  powers  assembled  in  Berlin  to  draw  a 
new  map  of  European  and  Asiatic  Turkey,  and  for¬ 
mulate  the  treaty  of  Berlin,  the  late  venerable  patriarch 
of  Constantinople,  Bishop  Nerses,  wm  sent  kf  a  special 
delegation  to  Berlin.  He  petitioned  the  conference  to 
make  a  provision  in  the  treaty  in  regard  to  the  reforms, 
or  an  autonomous  Armenia. 

As  the  result  of  this  we  have  the  sixty-first  article  of 
the  treaty  of  Berlin  in  the  following:— 

“Article  61.  The  sublime  Porte  engages  to  realize 
without  delay  those  ameliorations  and  reforms  which 
local  needs  require  in  the  provinces  inhabited  by  the 
Armenians,  and  guarantee  their  security  against  the  Cir¬ 
cassians  and  the  Kurds.  It  undertakes  to  make  known, 
from  time  to  time,  the  measures  taken  with  this  object 
to  the  powers,  who  will  watch  over  their  application.” 

While  the  conference  still  was  in  session  England’s 
negotiation  with  Turkey  also  was  published  and  reads  : — 
“Article  I.  If  Batoum,  Ardahan,  Kars,  or  any  of 
them,  shall  be  retained  by  Russia,  and  if  any  attempt 
shall  be  made  at  any  future  time  by  Russia  to  take  pos¬ 
session  of  any  further  territories  of  his  Imperial  Majesty, 
the  Sultan,  in  Asia,  as  fixed  by  the  definitive  treaty  of 
peace,  England  engages  to  join  his  Imperial  Majesty, 
the  Sultan,  in  defending  them  by  force  of  arms. 

“  In  return,  his  Imperial  Majesty,  the  Sultan,  promises 
to  England  to  introduce  necessary  reforms,  to  be  agreed 
upon  later  between  the  two  powers,  into  the  govern¬ 
ment,  and  for  the  protection  of  the  Christian  and  other 
subjects  of  the  Porte  in  these  territories;  and  in  order 
to  enable  England  to  make  necessary  provision  for  exe- 


THE  PRESENT  ARMENIAN  TROUBLES.  IC>7 

cuting  her  engagement  his  Imperial  Majesty,  the  Sul¬ 
tan,  further  consents  to  assign  the  island  of  Cyprus  to 
be  occupied  and  administered  by  England.” 

An  annex  to  the  above  agreement  also  was  signed  on 
the  same  day,  and  one  of  the  articles  relative  to  the 
above  is  the  following: — 

“  Article  VI.  That  if  Russia  restores  to  Turkey  Kars 
and  other  conquests  by  her  in  Armenia  during  the  last 
war  the  island  of  Cyprus  will  be  evacuated  by  England 
and  the  Convention  of  the  4th  of  June,  1878,  will  be  at 
an  end.”  * 

England  was  sure  that  Russia  would  never  “  restore 
Kars  and  other  conquests  by  her  in  Armenia  during  the 
last  war,”  and  therefore,  she  makes  it  a  condition  of 
her  evacuating  the  island  of  Cyprus  that  she  may  never 
do  it.  But  another  part  of  the  same  contract  that,  “  the 
Sultan  promises  to  England  to  introduce  necessary  re¬ 
forms,  to  be  agreed  upon  later  between  the  two  powers , 
into  the  government,  and  for  the  protection  of  the  Chris - 
tian,  *  *  *  subjects  of  the  Porte  in  these  (Armenian 

provinces)  territories,  and  in  order  to  enable  England  to 
make  necessary  provision  for  executing  her  engage¬ 
ment,  *  *  *  the  Sultan  further  consents  to  assign 

the  island  of  Cyprus  to  be  occupied,”  &c. 

Since  the  signing  of  the  treaty  of  Berlin  and  the 
Anglo-Turkish  contract,  not  only  the  Turkish  govern¬ 
ment  has  failed  to  introduce  necessary  reforms  to  ameli¬ 
orate  the  condition  of  the  Christians,  or  protect  them 
from  the  atrocities  of  the  Kurds,  Circassians,  and  the 
Turks,  but  on  the  contrary  even  it  has  encouraged  these 


*  Appleton’s  Annual  Cyclopaedia,  1878. 


io8 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


wild  sons  of  the  mountains  and  highways  to  climb  up 
the  height  of  inhumanity. 

And  England  knows  these  things,  for  her  consuls  and 
vice-consuls  in  every  important  city  of  Armenia  in¬ 
formed  her,  and  one  especially  “  added  in  his  report  that 
European  supervision  was  an  indispensable  condition 
for  carrying  out  the  desired  reforms.” 

It  was  only  two  years  after  her  contract  with  Turkey 
and  the  treaty  of  Berlin  that  “the  disturbances  among 
the  Kurds  assumed  a  more  general  character  in  Septem¬ 
ber  (1880),  when  new  troubles  were  reported  in  the  dis¬ 
trict  south  of  New  Bajazid  in  the  Sanjak  of  Mush,  and 
in  other  parts  of  the  same  region.  Incendiary  proclam¬ 
ations  were  addressed  to  the  Armenians  by  the  insurgent 
chiefs,  and  the  governor-general  of  Van  applied  to  Con¬ 
stantinople  for  reinforcements,  but  was  answered  that 
none  could  be  spared.  On  the  20th  of  September  the 
Kurds  had  destroyed  thirteen  Armenian  villages.” 

Are  these  “  the  necessary  reforms  and  the  protection 
of  the  Christian  subjects  of  the  Porte?” 

The  Circassians,  Kurds,  and  Turks  are  at  liberty  to 
go  about  well  furnished  with  all  kinds  of  weapons,  but 
the  Christian  cannot  do  so ;  if  he  does  he  is  seized 
upon  as  a  revolutionist  and  thrust  into  a  dungeon  of  in¬ 
describable  misery.*  If  the  Armenians  will  try  to  pro¬ 
tect  themselves  against  their  enemies  they  are  seized 
upon  by  military  force  as  insurgents.  Yea,  a  groundless 
suspicion  was  enough  for  the  officers,  who  entered,  by 

*  It  was  the  misfortune  of  the  writer  to  be  in  a  Turkish  jail  for 
a  few  hours,  not  for  any  crime,  however,  but  unjustly,  and  it  ex¬ 
cels  his  descriptive  powers  for  its  misery. 


THE  PRESENT  ARMENIAN  TROUBLES.  IO9 

force  of  arms,  into  the  Armenian  church  in  Erzroum, 
desecrated  the  sacred  edifice,  disturbing  the  religious 
services  of  the  Christians,  under  the  pretext  of  searching 
for  arms.  The  indignation  of  the  Christians  at  the  vio¬ 
lation  of  their  rights  cost  the  lives  of  several  persons  on 
either  side. 

The  reader  will  agree  with  us  that  this  is  not  any 
sign  of  reform,  or  the  protection  of  the  Christians.  The 
government  actually  means  to  say :  Armenians,  hold  up 
your  arms,  stand  still ;  and  to  their  enemies  :  rob  them, 
violate  their  honors,  and  shoot  them  as  you  will,  and  if 
they  resent  and  oppose  you  Iwill  see  to  it.  And  our  dear 
friend,  England,  after  taking  the  booty  from  Turkey,  the 
island  of  Cyprus,  in  order  to  be  able  to  make  necessary 
provision  for  executing  her  engagement — her  engagement 
does  not  only  consist  of  protecting  Turkey  from  the 
Russian  encroachments,  but  also  seeing  that  the  Sultan 
fulfills  his  promise  of  reforms  and  the  protection  of  the 
Christians  in  those  territories  inhabited  by  them — looks 
upon  these  scenes  somewhat  indifferently.  And  she  is 
not  moved  to  that  lofty  sense  of  honor  to  keep  her  word 
and  fulfill  her  duty;  leaving  out  the  love  of  humanity, 
and  a  true  sympathy  for  an  unjustly  and  cruelly  op¬ 
pressed  nation  of  Christians. 

Moussa  Bey,  a  Kurdish  chief,  after  committing  numer¬ 
ous  robberies  and  cruelties,  murdered  an  Armenian  and 
abducted  his  daughter;  at  Bitlis,  he  tortured  an  Armen¬ 
ian  to  death  with  red-hot  iron.  At  the  head  of  his  band 
of  brigands  he  fell  upon  another  Christian  family  and 
destroyed  the  entire  family  and  ravished  women  in  the 
village  of  Dabovank.  Many  complaints  and  a  multitude 


I  10 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


of  witnesses  of  his  outrages  could  hardly  effect  his 
being  brought  to  Constantinople  to  answer  those 
charges.  After  all  these  crimes,  the  Turkish  Court  of 
Justice — rather  of  “mockery,”  as  the  distinguished 
statesman,  Mr.  Gladstone,  called  it — acquitted  him. 

But  because  he  committed  certain  robbery  and  insult 
to  the  American  missionaries,  a  sentence  of  exile  to 
Syria — only  a  few  hundred  miles  from  the  den  of  his 
iniquity — was  effected  by  the  influence  of  the  American 
consul  at  Constantinople.  It  is,  however,  very  difficult  to 
say  whether  he  is  now  an  exile. 

It  was  in  the  summer  of  1890,  only  about  two  years 
ago,  that  the  persecution  reached  its  climax  and  con¬ 
tinues  still  unabated.  Here  we  may  adduce  some  of  the 
reports  of  the  special  correspondents  of  The  London 
Daily  News,  which  were  also  published  in  the  leading 
papers  in  America:  “The  Armenian  Persecution. —  The 
London  Daily  News  has  sent  special  correspondents  to 
Armenia,  and  their  reports  leave  no  doubt  that  for  some 
reason  or  other  the  Turkish  government  have  resolved  to 
make  the  lives  of  the  Armenians  unbearable.  There  is 
a  well-founded  suspicion  that  the  sultan  is  deluding 
himself  with  the  idea  that,  by  supplanting  the  Christian 
Armenians  by  Mohammedan  Kurds,  he  can  raise  up  a 
formidable  barrier  to  the  Russian  conquest  of  the  prov¬ 
ince.  The  immediate  result  of  his  asinine  policy  is  to 
make  the  Armenians  look  to  the  czar  as  their  only 
powerful  friend,  and  the  feeling  of  indignation  in  this 
country  is  so  strong  on  the  subject  that  it  is  probable 
Lord  Salisbury  would  not  dare  to  interfere  should  Rus¬ 
sian  troops  enter  Armenia.” 


THE  PRESENT  ARMENIAN  TROUBLES.  I  I  I 

“  Mampre  Benglian,  the  Armenian  bishop  of  Alash- 
guerd,  has  arrived  at  Constantinople  by  way  of  Trebi- 
zond,  under  guard  as  a  criminal.  The  charge  against 
him  is  that  he  advised  his  flock  to  leave  Armenia  and 
seek  refuge  in  Persia.  The  bishop  was  arrested  and 
subjected  to  the  most  outrageous  indignities — insulted, 
spat  at,  and  flogged,  thrown  into  a  dungeon  and  there 
confined  for  some  time  before  being  sent  to  Constanti¬ 
nople.  Owing  to  the  remonstrances  by  the  British  and 
Russian  ambassadors,  he  has  been  given  his  freedom  on 
parole.  A  letter  from  Alashguerd  says:  ‘We  can 
neither  depart  nor  stay,  and  no  other  course  is  left  us 
but  to  perish  where  we  are.  The  Kurds  and  Turks 
openly  declare  that  they  mean  to  kill  as  many  Armenians 
as  they  can,  and  that  they  have  full  permission.’  ” 

“  London,  July  23d. — A  dispatch  from  Tiflis  to  The 
Daily  News  says  that  the  Armenian  bishop  of  Erzroum 
was  among  those  killed  in  the  riot  on  June  20th,  and 
that  his  death  has  roused  the  Armenians  to  the  highest 
pitch  of  excitement.  The  whole  country  is  in  a  state  of 
anarchy.  Business  is  at  a  standstill  and  traveling  is  im¬ 
practicable.  Half-starved  Turkish  soldiers  and  Kurds, 
under  pretense  of  maintaining  order,  patrol  the  countrv, 
plundering  wherever  they  go.  The  Persian  consul  at 
Erzroum  offers  the  persecuted  Armenians  an  asylum  in 
Persia.”  “  The  Kurds  have  set  fire  to  the  crops  of  the 
Armenians  in  many  places  in  the  vicinity  of  Bitlis.” 

“  A  wholesale  massacre  of  Christians.  London,  August 
20th. — The  News  says  that  the  situation  in  Armenia  is 
daily  becoming  more  deplorable.  There  has  been  a 
wholesale  massacre  of  Christians  at  Moosh.” 


1 12 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


“  Outrages  in  Armenia . — London,  September  17th. — 
The  Daily  Nezvs  publishes  further  particulars  of  outrages 
in  Armenia.  It  says  that  most  terrible  scenes  are  con¬ 
stantly  witnessed  in  Alashgerd.  Murders  are  being  con¬ 
tinually  committed,  and  women  are  being  subjected  to  the 
grossest  indignities.  More  Turkish  troops  are  arriving.” 

These  facts  have  been  brought  to  the  notice  of  the 
civilized  and  Christian  world  by  one  of  the  leading  papers 
of  England.  Can  England  be  ignorant  of  this  situation 
in  Armenia  ?  Had  not  England  assumed  any  responsi¬ 
bility  by  her  contract  with  Turkey,  even  then  would  her 
course  not  be  justifiable,  while  she  could  use  her  influ¬ 
ence  on  behalf  of  the  suffering  -victims  of  cruelty  in 
Turkey.  How  much  less  such  a  conduct  can  be  justified 
after  assuming  such  a  solemn  responsibility. 

The  powers  who  fixed  their  signatures  through  their 
representatives  to  the  treaty  of  Berlin,  “  through  Mr. 
Goschen,  presented  a  collective  note,  on  September  7th, 
1880.  It  refuted  the  statement  of  Abeddin  Pasha,  that 
the  government  had  already  begun  the  work  of  reform, 
and,  after  criticising  the  projected  reforms,  declared  that 
they  had  been  inadequate  to  the  object  in  view,  and  that 
a  much  greater  development  of  the  principles  of  decen¬ 
tralization  and  religious  equality,  the  organization  of  a 
better  police  force,  more  energetic  protection  against  the 
Kurds,  a  more  definite  provision  concerning  the  func¬ 
tions  of  Governor-General,  could  alone  satisfy  the  rights 
and  expectations  created  by  the  sixty-first  article  of  the 
treaty  of  Berlin.”  * 


*  Appletons’  Annual  Cyclopaedia,  1880,  page  689. 


THE  PRESENT  ARMENIAN  TROUBLES.  I  1 3 

Twelve  years  have  elapsed  since  the  Powers  have  re¬ 
futed  the  false  report  of  Abeddin  Pasha  and  declared 
that  these  projected  reforms  were  inadequate  altogether 
to  the  object  in  view.  The  Turkish  government  instead 
of  reforming  her  conduct,  or  taking  vigorous  measures 
for  reform,  or  adopting  more  energetic  means  of  protec¬ 
tion  for  the  Christians  against  the  Kurds,  as  we  have 
seen  above,  “  has  resolved  to  make  the  lives  of  the  Ar¬ 
menians  unbearable.”  And  these  powers  are  quiet  in 
the  face  of  these  facts. 

If  the  sixty-first  article  of  the  treaty  of  Berlin  would 
read  somewhat  like  this:  ‘The  sublime  Porte  engages 
to  realize  without  delay  such  maltreatments,  persecu¬ 
tions,  and  oppressions  in  the  provinces  inhabited  by  the 
Armenians,  and  guarantees  the  security  of  their  enemies, 
the  Circassians  and  the  Kurds,  and  will  acquit  them  in 
case  of  their  being  brought  to  justice,  and  assist  them  by 
the  force  of  arms.  It,  moreover,  undertakes  to  make 
known  to  the  civilized  and  Christian  powers,  from  time 
to  time,  that  Mohammedanism  and  barbarism  still  go 
hand  in  hand.’  Then  these  powers,  who  signed  this 
treaty,  would  have  been  more  justifiable  than  they  are 
now,  for  this  is  what  the  Porte  is  doing,  and  nothing 
more  could  be  expected  than  that  agreed  upon  by  all. 
But  the  sixty-first  article  of  the  treaty  of  Berlin  is  the 
reverse  of  the  present  condition  of  affairs  in  Armenia. 
Therefore  the  conduct  of  these  powers  also  is  unjusti¬ 
fiable  as  that  of  England.  And  not  a  little  responsi¬ 
bility  of  the  present  troubles  and  of  their  continuation 
rest  upon  these  powers. 

It  has  been  stated  that  the  prisons  are  crowded  by  the 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


I  14 

unfortunate  victims  of  the  cruelty  of  the  government,  on 
the  ground  of  (often  of  groundless)  suspicion.  The 
condition  of  these  unfortunates  and  the  atrocities  of  the 
Turkish  officers  are  found  briefly  described  in  the  fol¬ 
lowing  extract  from  a  letter  written  to  L  Observa- 
teur ,  of  Paris,  from  Constantinople,  dated  June  26th, 
1891.* 

“  I  have  already  written  you,  that  in  consequence  of 
the  late  disturbances  at  Constantinople  most  of  the  Ar¬ 
menian  prisoners  have  been  banished,  in  small  groups, 
to  various  distant  places,  in  order  not  to  attract  the  at¬ 
tention  of  the  public.  Is  it  possible  to  ever  pen  the  tor¬ 
tures  that  these  unfortunates  are  suffering  in  Turkish 
prisons  ?  The  penal  system  in  Turkey  is  still  in  its 
primitive  state,  and  has  undergone  no  improvement  since 
the  time  of  Sultan  Mehmed  II.  Many  prisoners  have 
not  been  able  to  stand  the  tortures  inflicted  upon  them, 
and  the  death  of  one  of  them,  Vartan  Calousdian  (a 
young  man  twenty-six  years  of  age),  is  a  new  proof  of 
their  atrocities. 

“  The  parents  of  this  young  man,  hearing  of  his  death 
in  the  prison,  during  the  last  week,  succeeded  in  secur¬ 
ing,  through  the  almighty  *  backshish,’  the  remains  of 
their  beloved  in  order  to  inter  him  in  their  family  grave. 
While  the  attendants  of  the  church  at  Galata  were 
washing  the  body  according  to  the  custom  of  the  Ar¬ 
menian  Church,  they  could  not  withold  their  tears,  and 
they  were  awe-stricken  at  the  sight  of  numerous  wounds 
which  marked  the  body.  The  poor  young  man  had 


*  Reprinted  in  The  Ararat,  New  York,  July  30th,  1891. 


THE  PRESENT  ARMENIAN  TROUBLES.  I  I  5 

many  of  his  ribs  broken,  the  palms  of  his  hands  and  the 
bottom  of  his  feet  were  burned,  and  his  breast  and  back 
striped  with  long  burns.  *  *  * 

“  In  spite  of  the  threats  of  the  authorities,  the  family 
gave  a  pompous  burial  to  this  young  man,  and  the  Ar¬ 
menian  community  of  Constantinople  joined  in  great 
multitude  to  do  the  last  honors  to  this  martyr. 

“  Similar  cases  occur  quite  often  in  Asia  Minor,  but 
the  local  authorities  conceal  them  with  the  utmost  care, 
and  make  every  effort  to  keep  them  from  the  people. 
The  Armenians  have  not  even  the  right  to  emigrate 
from  this  barbarous  country.  I  telegraphed  to  you  yes¬ 
terday  that  the  governor  of  Trebizond  prohibited  about 
one  hundred  Armenian  emigrants  from  leaving  the  port 
on  the  Messagerie  steamer  ‘  Niger.’ 

“  Although  the  indifference  of  Europe  towards  the 
Armenians  is  perfect,  and  although  Sultan  Hamid  re¬ 
fuses  even  to  respect  the  laws  of  humanity  and  the 
progress  of  civilization,  yet  he  may  not  be  altogether 

indifferent  when  he  contrasts  these  authentic  facts  with 

/ 

the  exaggerated  reports  of  ovations  with  which  some  of 
the  Parisian  papers  have  lately  filled  their  columns  in 
speaking  of  ‘  his  ’  magnaminity  and  ‘  the  sweetness  of 
his  fatherly  government !  ’  ” 

Let  us  beg  the  reader  to  stretch  the  compass  of  his 
imagination,  without  the  slightest  fear  of  exaggera¬ 
tion,  to  picture  the  pitiable  condition  of  these  prison¬ 
ers  and  their  families  in  Asia  Minor  and  Armenia 
proper,  where  there  is  neither  press  nor  the  influence 
of  the  foreign  powers  ;  neither  facilities  of  rapid  com¬ 
munication,  the  telegraph  system  is  controlled  by  the 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


I  16 

government,  nor  any  safety  exists  in  the  post-office  sys¬ 
tem  ;  letters  are  often  torn  open  with  the  pretense  of 
suspicion,  where  “  similar  cases  occur  quite  often ,  but  the 
local  authorities  conceal  them  with  the  utmost  care.” 
These  unfortunate  prisoners  are  starved  and  tortured  to 
death  in  those  filthy  and  infectious  jails  ;  their  wives  are 
exposed  to  the  assaults  of  the  enemies  of  their  religion, 
their  daughters  are  abducted  and  proselyted  by  threats, 
their  little  ones  are  crying  for  bread,  but  there  is  none 
to  "provide  for  them.  They  and  their  homes  and  fam¬ 
ilies  are  completely  ruined.  Thus  “  the  sweetness  of 
his  (Sultan  Hamid’s)  fatherly  government,”  in  the  last 
decade  of  the  nineteenth  century,  is  actually  trying  to 
extirpate  the  name  of  Armenia  and  the  Armenians,* 
who  have  preserved  their  national  existence  for  nearly 
five  thousand  years. 

Well  has  an  expatriated,  but  a  noble  son  of  Armenia, 
over  sixty  years  ago,  writing  from  a  distant  country, 
like  the  present  writer,  lamented  for  the  desolation  of 
his  people  and  his  fatherland.  Hardly  can  we  do  any 
better  than  here  to  reproduce  it. 

“'Armenia!  Armenia!  once  the  happy  residence  of 
my  majestic  sires  !  once  the  sure  asylum  of  the  dearest 
rights  of  thy  children  !  I  weep  over  thy  fallen  great¬ 
ness  !  I  weep  over  thy  departed  power !  I  weep  over 
thy  lost  independence !  No  more  do  I  see  the  powerful 
arm  of  thy  mighty  kings  stretched  out  to  protect  thy 

*  Sultan  Hamid’s  demand  from  the  Armenian  patriarch  that 
the  history  of  Armenia  should  not  be  taught  in  the  Armenian 
schools,  but  that  the  history  of  the  Ottoman  Empire  should  be 
taught,  is  another  sign  of  his  magnanimity  ! 


THE  PRESENT  ARMENIAN  TROUBLES.  I  I  7 

breast  from  violation  by  a  hostile  foe,  for  the  angel  of 
the  Lord  has  removed  power  from  the  sons  of  Haig,  and, 
like  the  children  of  Israel,  delivered  them  into  the  hands 
of  their  oppressors.  No  more  do  I  see  the  strength  and 
security  of  thy  fortifications,  for  disunion  and  treason 
have  betrayed  them  to  merciless  invaders.  No  more  do 
I  hear  the  glad  tidings  of  the  gospel  boldly  proclaimed, 
for  the  hand  of  tyranny  has  gagged  the  mouths  of  its 
zealous  preachers.  The  corners  of  thy  churches  have 
ceased  to  echo  the  praises  of  the  heavenly  Lord,  for  the 
cruel  Moslems  have  converted  them  into  mosques  and 
minarets.  No  more  do  I  see  the  rising  steeples  mock¬ 
ing  with  their  height  the  ambient  air  and  winds,  for  the 
redeeming  Cross  is  pulled  down  by  our  barbaric  op¬ 
pressors  and  replaced  by  the  vile  Crescent  of  the  im¬ 
postor,  who  has  shed  the  blood  of  myriads  of  Chris¬ 
tians.  No  more  do  I  see  the  splendor  and  liberty  of  thy 
noble  sons,  for  they  have  been  captured  by  usurpers, 
and  like  herds  of  cattle  led  into  the  worst  captivity.  Un¬ 
like  the  slaves  of  Africa,  whom  the  cupidity  of  their  en¬ 
slavers  only  exposed  in  a  slave-market,  they  were 
dragged  by  their  mercenary  captors  to  scenes  of  the 
vilest  pollution  and  degradation,  at  the  very  thought  of 
which  human  nature  recoils  !  No  more  do  I  see  thy 
beautiful  virgins  in  their  former  state  of  protection  and 
security,  for  they  are  placed  in  hourly  danger  of  being 
torn  away  from  thy  maternal  breast  by  barbarous  Mo¬ 
hammedans  for  the  gratification  of  their  lust.  Oh,  my 
country  !  Oh,  our  common  mother,  Armenia  !  a  name 
dearest  to  my  heart  and  sweeter  to  my  ears  than  the 
names  of  all  other  countries  ;  deprived  of  all  excellent 


1 18 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


characteristics,  which  are  essentially  necessary  to  con¬ 
stitute  the  political  honor,  influence,  and  happiness  of 
a  State — a  desolate  widow  among  the  sister  powers, 
who,  though  once  jealous  of  thy  elevated  dignity,  are 
now  far  from  stretching  towards  thee  the  arm  of  sisterly 
protection  or  affording  the  balm  of  comfort  in  thy  af¬ 
flicting  widowhood — well  has  the  inspired  prophet  Jere¬ 
miah  represented  thy  destitute  condition:  ‘How  doth 
the  city  sit  solitary  that  was  full  of  people?  how  has  she 
become  as  a  widow  ?  She  that  was  great  among  the 
nations  and  princess  among  the  provinces,  how  is  she 
become  tributary  ? 

“  ‘  She  weepeth  sore  in  the  night,  and  her  tears  are  on 
her  cheeks ;  among  all  her  lovers  she  hath  none  to 
comfort  her;  all  her  friends  have  dealt  treacherous 
with  her,  they  are  become  her  enemies.’  ”  (Lamenta¬ 
tions  i.  i,  2.) 

Where  and  when  will  this  state  of  oppression  and  per¬ 
secution  of  this  lamented  land  and  people  end  ?  One  of 
two  things  will  inevitably,  sooner  or  later,  take  place,  to 
wit :  either  the  Russian  despotism  will  supplant  the 
Turkish  tyranny,  or  a  general  and  great  massacre,  of  the 
Christians  will  ensue  as  they  struggle  single-handed  for 
their  self-defense  and  self-existence.  And  this  again 
will  be  a  sufficient  cause  for  Russia,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
last  Bulgarian  massacre,  to  rush  upon  “  the  unspeakable 
Turk,”  and  the  consequence  will  be  the  loss  of  thousands 
upon  thousands  of  human  lives.  Then  Armenia,  like 
Bulgaria,  might  have  a  home  rule  or  become  a  province 
of  Russia. 

But  a  better  solution  of  the  question,  and  immediate 


THE  PRESENT  ARMENIAN  TROUBLES.  I  19 

prevention  of  all  the  atrocities  now  in  progress,  and  an 
avoidance  of  a  devastating  and  destructive  war,  has  been 
suggested  in  “  The  Peace-Maker,”  by  Mr.  Robert  Stein. 
Here  'we  take  the  liberty  of  giving  it,  in  part : 

“  Armenia  must  be  regenerated.  A  land  lying  at  the 
door  of  Europe,  with  boundless  mineral  wealth  unde¬ 
veloped — with  a  white,  Christian  population,  Europeans 
in  everything  but  in  name ;  handsome,  gifted,  thirsting 
for  knowledge — such  a  land  cannot  much  longer  remain 
a  robber’s  den.  The  question  is  :  Shall  the  regeneration 
come  through  blood  ?  If  it  does  it  will  be  due  to  wanton 
negligence,  for  a  little  pressure  at  Constantinople,  exerted 
by  England  (the  support  of  Germany’s  earnest  Emperoi 
can  be  counted  on),  will  accomplish  all  without  a  drop 
of  blood.  Of  all  nations  England  should  see  to  it,  for 
it  is  owing  to  England  that  Armenia  is  still  Tuikish. 
English  interest  is  most  deeply  involved,  and  the  English 
Church,  among  all  the  Western  churches,  is  the  one  that 
most  resembles  the  Armenian  Church.  English  consuls 
and  English  officers  have  again  and  again  declared  that 
all  efforts  of  reform  are  futile  so  long  as  they  are  inti  listed 
to  the  Turkish  government  machinery.  Instead  of  a 
lazy,  fat  pasha,  caring  for  nothing  but  to  grow  fatter,  send 
a  tried  English  officer  from  Egypt  or  from  India,  where 
they  may  be  found  in  abundance.  Let  him  be  invested 
with  full  civil  power,  especially  with  power  to  appoint 
European  subordinates,  and  to  organize  a  police  com¬ 
posed  of  Europeans  and  of  natives,  trusting  in  peaceful 
influences.  Let  justice  and  freedom  prevail  for  ten  years, 
and  the  Armenians  will  have  forgotten  three-foui ths  of 
their  treasured  hatred  of  eight  centuries.  Turks,  Kooi  ds, 


120 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


and  Armenians  will  learn  to  live  in  peace,  side  by 
side,  and  should  at  any  time  the  European  officials  be 
withdrawn  and  full  native  self-government  substituted, 
Schiller’s  words  will  be  verified  : — 

“  ‘  Tremble  before  the  slave  when  he  breaks  his  chain  ; 

Tremble  not  before  a  free  man.’  ” 


CHAPTER  VI. 


PRE-CHRISTIAN  MONOTHEISM  AND 
POLYTHEISM. 

“And  Noah  Builded  an  Altar  unto  the  Lord.”  (Genesis 
ix.  20.) 

<(  Our  earth  owes  the  seeds  of  all  higher  culture  to  religious  tra¬ 
dition,  whether  literary  or  oral.” — Herdee. 

The  Bible,  modern  scholarship,  and  the  Armenian  tra¬ 
dition  concur  on  the  question  that  the  ark  of  Noah 
rested  “  upon  the  mountains  of  Ararat,”  or  Armenia. 
Again  we  learn  from  the  Bible  that  “  God  spake  unto 
Noah,  saying,  ‘  Go  forth  of  the  ark/  ”  and  Noah  came 
out  of  the  ark  and  all  those  that  were  with  him,  and  he 
builded  an  altar  unto  the  Lord  “and  offered  burnt  offer¬ 
ings  on  the  altar.”  This  fact  will  entitle  Armenia  to 
claim  to  be  the  country  where  a  true  and  pure  divine 
worship  was  first  practised  after  the  Deluge.  The  tra¬ 
dition  of  the  Armenians  coincides  with  the  fact  in  stat¬ 
ing  that  the  primitive  religion  of  the  people  was  simple 
and  pure  monotheism,  in  form  patriarchal,  or  Noachian. 
This  tradition  has  for  its  support  both  the  Bible  and  the 
science  of  religion.  Prof.  Max  Muller  tells  us  that  “re¬ 
ligion  is  not  a  new  invention.  It  is,  if  not  as  old  as  the 
world,  at  least  as  old  as  the  world  we  know.  As  soon 
almost  as  we  know  anything  of  the  thoughts  and  feel¬ 
ings  of  man,  we  find  him  in  possession  of  religion,  or 

(l2l) 


122 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


rather  possessed  by  religion.”  Thus  find  we  Noah  and 
his  descendants  in  possession  of,  or  rather  possessed  by, 
religion. 

The  Bible  furnishes  sufficient  facts  to  assert  that  this 
pure  monotheistic  worship  in  its  patriarchal  form  was 
perpetuated  among  the  descendants  of  Noah,  especially 
in  the  family  of  Shem.  More  than  four  centuries  after 
the  building  of  the  first  altar  unto  the  Lord  we  find 
Abraham  called  out  of  his  country  and  the  people  by 
Jehovah  to  become  the  head  of  a  nation  through  whom 
the  knowledge  of  the  only  one  true  God  should  be  per¬ 
petuated.  God’s  calling  Abraham  out  of  his  country 
and  people  was  not  to  make  him  a  true  worshiper  of 
Himself,  but  He  said  to  him,  “ I  will  make  of  thee  a  great 
nation  .”  Another  example  of  the  true  worshiper  of  God 
in  the  time  of  Abraham  was  Melchizedek  (King  of 
Righteousness),  king  of  Salem  (peace),-  who  was  the 
high  priest  of  the  most  high  God.”  (Genesis  xiv.  18.) 
Melchizedek  was  not  only  a  monotheist,  but  also  the 
priest  of  a  monotheistic  faith.  He  reigned  over  his  peo¬ 
ple  and  on  whose  behalf  he  officiated  as  the  high  priest 
of  the  most  high  God.  Now,  therefore,  it  ought  to  be 
admitted  that  not  only  solitary  individuals  like  Abra¬ 
ham  and  Melchizedek,  but  the  people  of  the  latter  also 
were  the  true  worshipers  of  God. 

The  Bible  is  not  a  universal  history.  Were  it  so,  well 
might  we  have  expected  it  to  mention  other  nations  and 
their  religious  beliefs  ;  though  what  little  it  incidentally 
gives,  or  states  in  regard  to  them  is  marvelously  accu¬ 
rate.  The  Armenian  tradition  that  their  primitive  relig¬ 
ion  was  pure  monotheism,  therefore,  is  neither  incredible 


PRE-CHRISTIAN  MONOTHEISM  AND  POLYTHEISM.  1 23 

nor  untenable,  but  oa  the  contrary  it  is  most  probable 
and  almost  certain,  supported  by  the  analogy  of  the 
Bible, 

The  investigations  of  modern  scholarship  maintain 
the  idea  and  render  it  almost  a  moral  demonstration  that 
the  primitive  religions  of  the  ancient  nations  were  of  a 
monotheistic  type,  if  not  a  pure  monotheism,  at  least 
they  were  not  very  far  from  it.  Prof.  Max  Muller,  of 
Oxford,  England,  in  his  lectures  on  the  “  Origin  and 
Growth  of  Religion,”  says  that,  “  The  Ancient  Aryans 
felt  from  the  beginning,  aye,  it  may  be,  more  in  the  be¬ 
ginning  than  afterwards,  the  presence  of  a  Beyond,  of 
an  Infinite,  of  a  Divine,  or  whatever  else  we  may  call  it 
now ;  and  they  tried  to  grasp  and  comprehend  it,  as  we 
all  do,  by  giving  to  it  name  after  name.”  It  is  conceded 
by  the  scholars  that  the  ancient  Armenians  were  closely 
connected  with  the  ancient  Aryans  (see  chapter  II.,  pages 
32-34  and  39),  that  they  were  Aryans  and  their  legit¬ 
imate  descendants  now  speak  a  language  which  modern 
ethnologists  decidedly  pronounce  to  belong  to  the  Aryan 
or  Indo-Germanic.  Although  we  do  not  know  when  the 
separation  of  the  Aryans  took  place,  we  can  safely  say 
that  the  above  statement  of  Prof.  Max  Muller  is  also 
perfectly  applicable  to  the  ancient  Armenians,  yet  we 
are  not  able  to  say  how  long  such  a  purity  of  faith 
lasted  in  Armenia. 

The  human  mind  is  capable  of  progress,  but  when  it 
is  left  to  itself  is  sure  to  retrograde  and  degenerate. 
This  is  verified  in  the  case  of  almost  all  nations  and  in 
the  history  of  all  religions  of  the  world.  “  That  relig¬ 
ion  is  liable  to  corruption  is  surely  seen  again  and 


124 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


again.  In  one  sense  the  history  of  most  religions  might 
be  called  a  slow  corruption  of  their  primitive  purity.” 
Divine  aid,  especially  in  religion,  is  therefore  absolutely 
necessary  for  a  true  progress.  Armenia  left  to  herself 
fell  into  a  gross  form  of  idolatry.  Her  fall  must  have 
been  hastened,  if  not  caused,  by  her  idolatrous  neigh¬ 
bors,  the  Babylonians  and  Assyrians.  For  the  idolatry 
which  we  find  in  the  early  history  of  the  Armenians  is 
decidedly  like  that  of  Assyro-Babylonian.  It  is  not  the 
same  religion  adopted  and  practised  by  the  Armenians, 
but  it  is  modeled  after  the  Assyrian. 

Anterior  to  the  cuneiform  inscriptions  of  Armenia 
the  people  must  have  had  an  idolatry  similar  to  the 
Sabeism  of  Babylonia,  which  was  afterwards  shaped  to 
the  Assyrian  style,  with  its  distinctive  character.  One 
of  the  inscriptions  furnishes  us  with  a  long  list  of  the 
gods  and  the  regulations  for  sacrifices  daily  to  be  offered 
to  them.  There  are,  however,  three  other  gods,  which 
stood  apart  by  themselves  at  the  head  of  the  Pantheon. 
These  are  Khaldis,  Teisbas  (the  air  god),  and  Adinis 
(the  sun  god).  But  Khaldis  is  the  supreme  god  and  the 
father  of  other  gods  ;  and  in  addition  to  these  every 
tribe,  city,  and  fortress  seem  to  have  its  respective  god. 
Some  other  gods  are  Auis  or  Avis  (the  water  god), 
Agas  (the  earth  god),  Dhuspuas  (the  god  of  Tosp,  the 
ancient  name  of  the  city  of  Van),  Selardis  (the  moon 
god),  Sardis  (the  year  god).  The  Armenians,  in  this 
period,  do  not  seem  to  have  any  goddess.  Saris  is 
found  only  once  mentioned  in  the  inscriptions  and  is 
translated  “  queen,”  yet  it  is  supposed  to  have  been  bor¬ 
rowed  from  the  Assyrian  Istar.  Whether  all  the  other 


PRE-CHRISTIAN  MONOTHEISM  AND  POLYTHEISM.  1 25 

gods  are  the  children  of  the  supreme  god  Khaldis,  or 
they  are  subordinate  to  him  and  separate  from  his  num¬ 
erous  offsprings,  it  is  not  quite  clear  ;  the  latter,  however, 
is  most  likely  the  case,  because  the  Khaldians  (the  chil¬ 
dren  of  Khaldis)  and  other  gods  have  their  separate  of¬ 
ferings  assigned  to  them  according  to  their  importance. 
(See  Appendix.) 

It  has  been  said  that  the  Armenian  culture,  civiliza¬ 
tion,  and  religion  were  very  much  influenced  by  the 
Assyrians  while  the  latter  were  in  the  height  of  their 
power.  From  the  following  citation  it  will  be  seen  a 
resemblance  of  the  religions  of  these  two  nations,  and 
they  might  have  also  the  same  origin  and  the  growth  : — 

“  The  rise  of  Semitic  supremacy  was  marked  by  the 
reigns  of  Sargon  I.  and  his  son,  Noram-Sin.  The  over¬ 
throw  of  Sargon’s  dynasty,  however,  was  soon  brought 
about  through  the  conquest  of  Babylonia  by  Khammur- 
agas,  a  Kossaean  from  the  mountains  of  Elam.  Before 
the  Kossaean  conquest  the  Babylonian  system  of  relig¬ 
ion  was  already  complete.  It  emanated  from  the  primi¬ 
tive  Accadian  population,  though  it  was  afterwards 
adopted  and  transformed  by  their  Semitic  successors. 
The  sorcerer  took  the  place  of  the  priest,  magical  incan¬ 
tations  the  place  of  the  ritual,  and  the  innumerable 
spirits  the  place  of  gods.  By  degrees,  however,  these 
earlier  conceptions  became  modified,  a  priesthood  began 
to  establish  itself;  and  as  a  necessary  consequence  some 
of  the  elemental  spirits  were  raised  to  the  rank  of  deities. 
The  old  magical  incantations,  too,  gave  way  to  hymns 
in  honor  of  the  new  gods,  among  whom  the  sun  god 
was  especially  prominent,  and  these  hymns  came  in  time 


126 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


to  form  a  collection  similar  to  that  of  the  Hindu  Rig- 
Veda,  and  were  accounted  equally  sacred.  This  proc¬ 
ess  of  religious  development  was  assisted  by  the  Semit¬ 
ic  occupation  of  Babylonia.  The  Semites  brought  with 
them  new  theological  conceptions.  With  them  the  sun 
god,  in  his  two-fold  aspect  of  benefactor  and  destroyer, 
was  the  supreme  object  of  worship,  all  other  deities  be¬ 
ing  resolvable  into  phases  or  attributes  of  the  supreme 
Baal.  At  his  side  stood  his  female  double  and  reflec¬ 
tion,  the  goddess  of  fertility,  who  was  found  again  un¬ 
der  various  names  and  titles  at  the  side  of  every  other 
deity.  The  union  of  these  Semitic  religious  conceptions 
with  the  developing  creed  of  Accad  produced  a  state- 
religion,  watched  over  and  directed  by  a  powerful  priest¬ 
hood,  which  continued  more  or  less  unaltered  down  to 
the  days  of  Nebuchadnezzar  and  his  successors.  It  was 
this  state-religion  that  was  carried  by  Semitic  Assyrians 
into  their  home  on  the  banks  of  the  Tigris,  where  it  un¬ 
derwent  one,  or  two  modifications,  in  all  essential  re¬ 
spects,  however,  remained  unchanged.” 

With  the  rise  of  Medo-Persian  Empire  a  new  religion 
rises  from  obscurity  to  prominence  in  Western  Asia. 
This  is  the  religion  of  Zoroaster.  This  was  the  religion 
with  which  Christianity  had  so  nobly  contended  since 
the  introduction  of  the  latter  into  Armenia,  until  the  for¬ 
mer  in  .complete  despair  and  as  a  vanquished  foe  almost 
disappeared  from  existence.  It  is  generally  believed 
that  Zoroaster  was  a  real  person  and  the  founder  of  this 
religion,  which  is  called  after  his  name,  Zoroastrianism. 
There  is,  however,  a  great  uncertainty  about  the  period 
of  his  earthly  existence ;  some  would  make  him  a  con- 


PRE-CHRISTIAN  MONOTHEISM  AND  POLYTHEISM.  1 27 

temporary  with  Moses,  and  others  with  David  and  Solo¬ 
mon.  It  is  very  probable,  however,  that  he  lived  even 
in  a  good  deal  later  period  than  these  Israelitish  kings. 

Zoroastrianism  is  a  dualistic  religion.  It  teaches  that 
there  are  two  uncreated  beings,  Ormazd,  the  supreme 
good,  and  Ahriman,  the  evil ;  that  Ormazd  created  the 
earth,  the  heavens,  and  the  man,  and  that  man  is  created 
free.  Ahriman  is  the  evil  and  evil-doer,  and  in  constant 
war  with  Ormazd ;  this  world  is  their  battle-field.  There 
are  inferior  (good)  spirits  which  are  called  genii,  who 
are  the  instruments  of  Ormazd,  but  the  fire  alone  was  the 
personification  of  the  son  of  Ormazd,  and  therefore  an 
object  of  veneration  and  worship.* 

The  abominable  religion  of  the  ancient  Babylonians 
must  have  had  a  great  influence  even  over  the  religion 
of  Zoroaster,  for  we  find  that  the  Persians  and  Armenians 
had  also  similar  gods,  like  Mithra,  sun  god,  and  Anahita, 
the  goddess  of  waters.  The  magi  were  the  priests  of 
Zoroastrianism,  with  a  high  priest  of  this  order  who  was 
called  in  Armenian  language  Mogbed  (the  head  or  the 
leader  of  magi).  No  doubt  this  was  the  religion  of  the 
Armenians  for  nearly  nine  centuries  (from  the  end  of  the 
seventh  century  B.  C.  to  the  end  of  the  third  century 
of  our  era),  possibly  with  some  modifications  and  addi¬ 
tions  from  the  Grecian  polytheism  after  the  conquest  of 
Alexander  the  Great. 


*See  the  inscription  of  Xerxes,  Appendix. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


CONVERSION  OF  THE  ARMENIANS. 

Hardly  will  it  be  necessary  to  turn  the  attention  of 
the  reader  to  the  condition  of  the  world  in  the  time  of 
Christ’s  advent,  especially  to  that  of  Western  Asia. 
Sabeism  of  ancient  Babylonia  had  not  yet  quite  expired, 
though  her  votaries  in  despair  were  getting  ready  to  give 
her  a  magnificent  burial.  In  vain  had  the  Assyrians 
tried  to  resuscitate  her,  fancying  that  the  number -of  gods 
was  not  sufficient  to  keep  Sabeism  alive,  by  raising  some 
imaginary  powers  into  the  dignity  of  deities.  The  Per¬ 
sians  thought  Zoroastrianism  a  pretty  good  hypothesis 
to  account  for  the  constant  conflict  of  good  and  evil  in 
the  world  by  assuming  Ormazd  the  supreme  good  god 
and  Ahriman  the  evil  being,  but  they  were  conscious  of 
its  insufficiency,  and  following  the  example  of  the  Assy¬ 
rians  and  Babylonians  they  adopted  other  gods  and  a 
goddess,  too.  Yet  these  additions,  instead  of  improving 
Zoroastrianism,  thickened  their  religious  atmosphere 
with  the  impurities  of  immorality.  The  Grecian  inva¬ 
sion  of  Western  Asia  was  the  means  of  introducing  there 
a  polytheism  which  clouded  the  Oriental  sky  and  caused 
it  to  grow  darker  still.  The  noble  religion  of  the  patri¬ 
archs  and  prophets  had  fallen  into  a  ritualistic  literalism 
in  the  hands  of  the  Pharisees ;  and  in  the  hands  of  the 

(128) 


CONVERSION  OF  THE  ARMENIANS. 


129 


skeptical  Sadducees  it  had  become  an  object  of  incredu¬ 
lity.  In  one  word,  the  world  was  lying  in  wickedness, 
enveloped  in  the  darkest  clouds  of  idolatry  and  super¬ 
stitions. 

Then  it  was  that  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  arose  with 
healing  in  His  wings  and  chased  away  the  darkness  which 
had  spiritually  and  morally  blinded  the  entire  world. 
Christ’s  fame  had  already  spread  far  and  nigh,  and 
reached  the  ear  of  our  king,  Abgarus,  the  prince  of 
Edessa,  and  it  had  revived  in  his  heart  hopes  of  recovery 
from  his  incurable  disease.  Therefore  sent  he  for  Christ, 
according  to  the  tradition  of  the  whole  Christian  Church. 
Soon  after  the  ascension  of  Christ  three  of  His  apostles, 
Thaddeus,  Bartholomew,  and  Judas,  successively  and 
successfully  preached  the  gospel  in  Armenia.  Some 
even  affirm  that  not  only  the  seed  of  the  gospel  was 
planted  by  these  apostles,  and  they  watered  it  with  their 
blood — having  been  martyred  there — but,  moreover,  the 
churches  which  they  established  survived  all  manner  of 
persecution  till  the  final  conquest  of  Christianity  over 
Armenia  by  the  apostolic  preaching  of  Gregory,  the 
Illuminator. 

The  following  is  from  the  pen  of  H.  B.  Tristram,  D.  D., 
LL.  D.,  F.  R.  S.,  canon  of  Durham,  England,  writing  on 
the  subject:  “  There  were  certain  Greeks.”  “  It  is  a  very 
early  tradition,  and  the  pretended  letter  of  Abgarus,  and 
the  reply  of  Jesus,  are  recorded  by  Eusebius,  and  were  ac¬ 
cepted  in  his  time.  He  professes  to  have  obtained  them 
from  the  archives  of  Edessa.  The  Armenians  identify 
the  messengers  with  their  own  nationality,  and  claim 
that  Abgarus  was  king  of  Armenia.  But,  although  all 


130 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


historical  critics  agree  in  pronouncing  the  letters  apocry¬ 
phal,  there  is  less  reason  for  rejecting  the  tradition  that 
Thaddeus,  soon  after  the  dispersion  of  the  disciples  from 
Jerusalem,  carried  the  gospel  into  Armenia.  We  know 
that  when  Gregory  the  Illuminator,  who  was  born  A.  D. 
25 7,  proclaimed  the  message  throughout  Armenia,  he 
found  Christians  everywhere,  and  a  church  which,  though 
sorely  persecuted  and  oppressed,  had  existed  from 
apostolic  times.  He  was,  in  fact,  rather  the  restorer 
than  the  founder  of  the  Armenian  Church,  which  became 
the  church  of  the  whole  nation  half  a  century  before  the 
cross  was  emblazoned  on  the  standard  of  Rome.  The 
Armenians  may  justly  claim  to  be  the  oldest  Christian 
nation  in  the  world.” 

Though  Christianity  was  first  introduced  into  Armenia 
by  the  Apostles,  who  laid  the  foundation  of  that  en¬ 
nobling,  regenerating,  and  purifying  religion  of  Christ  so 
early  as  in  the  middle  of  the  first  century  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  era,  yet  the  completion  of  that  work  and  demolition 
of  heathenism  were  reserved  for  St.  Gregory. 

The  father  of  Gregory,  Prince  Anak,  was  of  the  royal 
family  of  Arsacidae  of  Parthia,  whose  reign  was  over¬ 
thrown  by  Artaxerxes,  the  founder  of  the  Sassanian 
dynasty  of  Persia.  But  the  Armenian  branch  of  Arsa¬ 
cidae  was  still  in  full  vigor  in  the  person  of  Chosroes  I., 
the  king  of  Armenia,  who  had  tried  to  restore  the  seized 
sceptre  of  power  to  the  deprived  royal  family  of  Arsa¬ 
cidae  of  Parthia  from  the  revolter,  Artaxerxes,  the  Per¬ 
sian.  In  order  that  Artaxerxes  might  secure  his  reign 
he  tried  to  subdue  Armenia,  too.  But,  failing  to  do  this 
manfully,  he  resorted  to  treachery.  Anak,  the  relative 


CONVERSION  OF  THE  ARMENIANS.  I  3 1 

of  Chosroes  I.,  was  induced  by  Artaxerxes,  with  promises 
of  large  reward,  to  play  the  part  of  an  assassin.  It  was 
so  arranged  that  Anak  would  be  chased  out  of  Persia, 
being  a  member  of  the  Arsacide  dynasty,  a  dangerous 
person  to  the  newly-established  sovereignty  of  Persia. 
“Anak,  with  his  wife,  his  children,  his  brother,  and  a 
train  of  attendants,  pretended  to  take  refuge  in  Arme¬ 
nia  from  the  threatened  vengeance  of  his  sovereign,  who 
caused  his  troops  to  pursue  him,  as  a  rebel  and  deserter, 
to  the  very  borders  of  Armenia.”*  Anak  was  received 
by  Chosroes  I.,  who  credulously  listened  to  his  story  and 
sympathized  with  him.  Anak  committed  the  crime  of 
assassination  of  the  king,  but  the  king  lived  long  enough 
to  request  the  complete  destruction  of  the  family  of 
Anak,  and  Anak  also  had  no  time  to  effect  his  escape, 
and,  being  seized  upon,  he  received  the  due  recompense  of 
an  assassin.  However,  his  son  Gregory,  who  was  only 
an  infant,  was  saved  by  the  faithfulness  of  his  nurse,  who 
took  him  and  escaped  into  the  city  of  Caesarea,  Cappa¬ 
docia,  where  he  was  brought  up  in  a  Christian  family, 
with  a  thorough  Christian  education. 

On  the  other  hand,  Artaxerxes  obtained  his  object 
without  paying  for  it,  and,  hearing  of  the^ condition  of 
affairs  in  Armenia,  he  immediately  hastened  thither  with 
his  army  and  took  the  people  by  surprise.  He  doomed 
the  family  of  Arsacidae  to  death,  so  as  not  to  leave  any 
to  rival  him  for  the  throne.  However,  Tiridates,  the  son 
of  Chosroes,  escaped  into  the  Roman  province  of  Ar¬ 
menia,  and  then  to  Rome,  where  he  received  a  military 
training,  and  his  sister  was  hid  in  the  stronghold  of  Ani. 


*  The  Seventh  Oriental  Monarchy,  page  51. 


132 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


Tiridates  found  favor  with  the  Roman  Emperor  Dio- 
cletianus,  who,  with  a  great  force,  sent  him  to  Armenia 
to  wrest  his  father’s  throne  from  the  Persians.  Tiridates 
was  welcomed  by  his  people,  who  joined  his  army  and 
drove  out  of  the  country  their  common  enemy  (A.  D. 
286).  St.  Gregory  returned  to  Armenia  and  entered 
King  Tiradates’  service,  whose  “  purpose  being  to  win 
over  to  eternal  life,  through  the  gospel  of  Christ,  the 
son  of  him  who  had  been  slain  by  his  father,  and  thus  to 
make  amends  for  his  father’s  crime.”  Though  he 
suffered  many  a  torture  and  torment,  and  thirteen  years’ 
imprisonment  in  a  pit,  yet  this  noble  Christian  hero  and 
apostle  was  determined  “  to  win  (the  king)  over  to 
eternal  life,  through  the  gospel  of  Christ.”  Finally, 
the  king  was  converted  and  baptized  by  St.  Gregory, 
and  became  himself  a  worthy  champion  of  the  truth, 
and  the  first  honored  king  who  proclaimed  throughout 
his  dominions  that  henceforth  the  religion  of  Christ  is 
the  religion  of  Armenia.  The  Armenians  have  been 
nationally  converted  to  Christianity,  from  the  king  to 
the  servant ;  however,  there  were  some,  especially  among 
the  nobility,  who  with  a  heathenish  tenacity  held  on  to 
Zoroastrianism  ;  but  this  was  for  a  mercenary  purpose, 
not  from  a  real  appreciation  of  Zoroastrianism.  For  St. 
Gregory,  by  his  evangelistic  spirit  and  labors,  had  laid  a 
firm  foundation  for  the  religion  of  Christ  in  the  land  of 
Ararat  (A.  D.  289).  He  was,  by  the  request  of  the  king, 
sent  to  Caesarea,  Cappadocia,  to  be  ordained  bishop  over 
Armenia  (A.  D.  302). 

The  temples  of  the  idols  in  every  important  city  or 
town  were  pulled  down  and  Christian  churches  in  their 


CONVERSION  OF  THE  ARMENIANS. 


133 


stead  were  reared.  The  most  splendid  of  all  these 
churches  was  Etchmiadzin,  “  the  descent  of  the  only  be¬ 
gotten,”  which  was  afterwards  clustered  about  with  other 
buildings  and  became  a  monastery  and  the  seat  of  St. 
Gregory’s  successors  to  his  prelatic  chair  to  this  day. 

In  those  days,  and  during  the  period  of  a  century  after¬ 
wards,  the  Christian  training  was  carried  on  by  the  cate- 
chisers,  for  very  few  had  access  to  the  Syriac  or  Greek 
literature,  and  the  Armenian  literature  was  also  written 
in  either  character ;  the  characters  of  the  Armenian 
alphabet  were  neither  complete  nor  yet  discovered.  So 
the  reader  will  bear  in  mind  that  the  advantages  of  im¬ 
parting  or  disseminating  a  thorough  Christian  knowl¬ 
edge,  if  not  lacking,  were  very  few. 

During  the  long  reign  of  Tiridates  the  Church  greatly 
flourished.  Indeed,  did  St.  Gregory  lay  the  foundation 
of  the  religion  of  Christ  upon  the  immovable  rock  of  the 
Word  of  God. 

Both  the  noble  founder  and  the  valiant  defender  of 
that  divine  faith,  committed  to  their  care  by  King  Jesus, 
entered  their  rest,  after  having  seen  the  prosperous  con¬ 
dition  of  the  Church,  and  were  succeeded  by  their  sons. 
However,  the  power  of  Armenia  was  unequal  to  the  con¬ 
flicting  forces  on  either  side,  though  the  descendants  of 
Tiridates  held  the  sceptre  of  Armenia  nearly  a  century 
longer,  but  in  a  very  enervated  state.  Nevertheless  the 
Church  of  Armenia  made  a  decided  advance  within  this 
period.  The  Armenian  characters  were  recovered  and 
completed  by  the  distinguished  scholar  and  prelate,  Mes- 
rob,  who  also,  with  St.  Isaac,  the  patriarch,  translated 
the  Scriptures  into  the  Armenian  language,  the  Old 


134 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


Testament  from  the  Septuagint  version  and  the  New  Test¬ 
ament  from  the  original  Greek.  After  the  conversion  of 
the  Armenians  to  Christianity  not  a  few  of  the  youths  of 
Armenia  had  flocked  into  the  schools  of  Athens,  Alex¬ 
andria,  and  Constantinople,  to  sate  their  avidity  for  learn¬ 
ing,  who  rendered  a  great  service  to  the  nation,  both  by 
their  writings  and  translations  from  the  Greek,  especially 
some  of  the  most  valuable  works  of  the  early  church 
fathers. 

The  rise  of  the  Sassanian  dynasty  in  Persia  was  a 
source,  more  or  less,  of  perpetual  misery  and  blood-shed 
in  Armenia.  As  it  has  been  said  before,  the  Persians 
had  two  reasons  for  their  cruel  attitude  towards  Armenia. 
These  causes  were  the  existence  of  the  Arsacide  reign  and 
Christianity  in  Armenia,  while  Zoroastrianism  was  re¬ 
vived  in  Persia  under  the  Sassanian  kings.  Christianitv 
was  a  permanent  cause  or  occasion  for  which  Armenia 
has  suffered  and  is  still  suffering  indescribable  miseries 
and  innumerable  cruelties.  The  Persians  would  imagine 
that  as  long  as  the  Armenians  are  Christians  they  are  in 
alliance  with  the  Greeks,  while,  unfortunately  and  often, 
the  Greeks  were  no  more  in  sympathy  with  them  than 
the  Persians. 

Armenia  about  the  middle  of  the  fifth  century  had  en¬ 
tirely  lost  her  independence  and  was  divided  between  the 
Greeks  and  the  Persians,  the  eastern  and  the  larger  part 
of  the  country  being  under  the  latter  power. 

Yasgerd  II.,  the  king  of  Persia  (A.  D.  450),  decreed 
thus  :  “  All  people  and  tongues  throughout  my  domin¬ 
ions  must  abandon  their  heresies,  worship  the  Sun,  bring 
to  him  their  offerings,  and  call  him  God;  they  shall  feed 


CONVERSION  OF  THE  ARMENIANS. 


135 


the  holy  fire,  and  fulfill  all  the  ordinances  of  Magi.” 
Accordingly,  Mihrnerseh,  the  grand  vizier  of  the  Per¬ 
sian  court,  wrote  a  long  letter  to  the  Armenians,  polemic 
.  in  character,  persuasive  in  style,  and  menacing  in  tone. 
The  synod  of  the  Armenian  bishops  was  convened,  who 
unanimously  agreed  to  defend  their  religion  at  any  cost, 
and  at  the  same  time  it  was  decided  upon  answering  the 
letter  of  the  grand  vizier  in  which  they  both  refuted 
the  charges  made  against  Christianity,  undauntedly  de¬ 
fended  their  faith,  showing  the  absurdity  of  Zoroastrian¬ 
ism,  and  concluded  the  epistle  with  these  words  :  “  From 
this  belief  no  one  can  move  us,  neither  angels  nor  men, 
neither  fire  nor  sword,  nor  water,  nor  any  other  horrid 
tortures,  however  they  be  called.  All  our  goods  and 
our  possessions  are  before  thee,  dispose  of  them  as 
thou  wilt,  and  if  thou  only  leavest  us  to  our  belief,  we 
will  here  below  choose  no  other  lord  in  thy  place,  and 
in  heaven  have  no  other  God  but  Jesus  Christ,  for  there 
is  no  other  God  save  only  Him.  But  shouldst  thou  re¬ 
quire  something  beyond  this  great  testimony,  behold  our 
resolution ;  our  bodies  are  in  thy  hands — do  with  them 
according  to  thy  pleasure ;  tortures  are  thine,  and  patience 
ours  ;  thou  hast  the  sword,  we  the  neck  ;  we  are  nothing 
better  than  our  forefathers,  who,  for  the  sake  of  their 
faith,  resigned  their  goods,  possessions,  and  life.  Do 
thou,  therefore,  inquire  of  us  nothing  further  concerning 
these  things,  for  our  belief  originates  not  with  men,  we 
are  not  taught  like  children,  but  we  are  indissolubly 
bound  to  God,  from  whom  nothing  can  detach  us, 
neither  now,  nor  hereafter,  nor  forever,  nor  for  ever  and 
ever.” 


136 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


As  soon  as  this  letter  arrived  at  the  royal  court  of 
Persia,  King  Yasgerd  was  enraged  and  summoned  the 
Armenian  princes  to  repair  immediately  to  his  maj¬ 
esty’s  presence.  There  in  the  presence  of  the  king 
they  manifested  a  great  resolution  in  their  faith,  for 
which  they  were  ignominiously  treated  and  confined  in 
prison.  Having  been  threatened  while  in  their  confine¬ 
ment  they  devised  a.  scheme  ;  they  thought  it  is  better 
apparently  to  comply  with  the  demands  of  the  king  but 
inwardly  to  remain  true  to  their  convictions  and  relig¬ 
ion.  God,  who  is  able  to  bring  good  out  of  evil,  indeed 
did  so  in  this  case.  When  it  was  made  known  to  the 
king  that  the  Armenian  princes  were  willing  to  accept 
his  terms,  at  once  they  were  liberated  and  returned  with 
distinctions  to  their  homes.  And  a  large  army  with 
over  seven  hundred  magi  were  exultantly  marching  on 
to  Armenia  to  raze  to  the  ground  every  Christian 
church  and  school  and  disciple  the  people  into  the 
mysterious  absurdities  of  Zoroastrianism. 

No  sooner  had  the  news  of  the  apostacy  of  the  prin¬ 
ces  reached  Armenia  than  the  bishops,  priests,  and  the 
laity  condemned  the  weakness  and  the  folly  of  the  prin¬ 
ces.  When  the  princes  returned  to  Armenia  they  found 
no  one  ready  to  listen  to  any  explanation,  but  every¬ 
where  the  people  were  ready  to  defend  their  religion  at 
the  cost  of  their  lives.  A  large  multitude  made  up  of 
clergy  and  laity,  among  whom  were  many  women,  gath- 
ered  for  immediate  action,  for  the  enemy  was  marching  on. 
Some  of  the  princes  could  not  endure  the  contempt  of 
the  people  nor  the  unrelenting  remorse  of  their  conscien¬ 
ces,  so  they  were  ready  to  expiate  their  folly  at  any  cost. 


VARTAN  MAMIGONIAN 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


138 

Prince  Vartan,  the  Mamigonian,  was  unanimously  ap¬ 
pointed  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  Armenians,  and 
the  multitude  was  formed  into  three  divisions,  intrusted 
to  three  princes,  Vartan,  Nershebuh,  and  Vasag.  The 
latter,  however,  proved  treacherous  and  perfidious,  and 
with  his  almost  entire  division  sided  with  the  Persians 
and  began  to  devastate  the  provinces  where  he  was  sta¬ 
tioned  to  encounter  the  foe.  His  treachery  decided  the 
fate  of  the  Armenians.  But  brave  Vartan  and  the  rest 
were  not  dismayed  though  they  knew  that  they  alone 
could  not  conquer  an  immense  army  of  the  enemy  with 
a  small  force  of  their  own,  yet  they  were  not  fighting 
for  victory,  but  for  their  convictions  and  the  religion  of 
Christ. 

The  address  of  Vartan,  the  commander-in-chief,  is 
most  beautiful  and  touching.  “  I  have  been,”  said  he, 
<(  in  many  battles,  and  you  also  with  me  ;  we  have  some¬ 
times  bravely  vanquished  the  foe  ;  sometimes  they  van¬ 
quished  us,  but  on  all  these  occasions  we  thought  only 
of  worldly  distinction,  and  we  fought  merely  at  the 
command  of  a  mortal  king.  Behold,  we  have  all  many 
wounds  and  scars  upon  our  persons,  and  great  must 
have  been  our  bravery  to  have  won  these  great  marks  of 
honor.  But  useless  and  empty  I  deem  these  exploits 
whereby  we  have  received  these  honorable  marks,  for 
they  pass  away.  If,  however,  you  have  done  such  valiant 
deeds  in  obedience  to  a  mortal  ruler,  how  much  more 
will  you  do  them  for  our  immortal  King,  who  is  lord  of 
life  and  death,  and  who  judges  every  one  according  to 
his  works. 

“  Now,  therefore,  I  entreat  you,  my  brave  companions, 


CONVERSION  OF  THE  ARMENIANS. 


139 


and  more  so  as  you — albeit  in  bravery,  worth,  and  in¬ 
herited  honors  greater  than  I — have  of  your  own  freewill 
and  out  of  your  love  elected  me  your  leader  and  chief; 

I  entreat  that  my  words  may  be  favorably  received  by 
the  high  and  the  low.  Fear  not  the  numbers  of  the 
heathens  ;  withdraw  not  your  necks  from  the  terrific 
sword  of  a  mortal  man  in  order  that  the  Lord  may  give 
the  victory  into  our  hands,  that  we  may  annihilate  their 
power  and  lift  on  high  the  standard  of  truth.”  On  the 
morning  of  the  day  of  the  battle  the  little  army  of  the 
Holy  League  received  the  Holy  Eucharist,  and  march¬ 
ed  on  with  these  words :  “  May  our  death  be  like  to 
the  death  of  the  just,  and  may  the  shedding  of  our 
blood  resemble  the  blood-shedding  of  the  prophets ! 
May  God  look  in  mercy  on  our  voluntary  self-offering, 
and  may  he  not  deliver  the  Church  into  the  hands  of  the 
heathens !  ”  With  amazing  bravery  and  valor  must 
they  have  fought.  Had  Vasag  not  deserted  the  holy 
cause,  or  had  he-  not  sided  with  the  enemy,  the  Arme¬ 
nians  would  have  achieved  a  signal  victory  in  the  annals 
of  the  church  history,  and  might  have  also  regained 
their  independence.  The  fall  of  the  noble  commander 
Vartan  and  some  others  disheartened  the  rest.  The 
enemy  then  seized  upon  many  and  indiscriminately 
slaughtered  not  a  few.  Many  of  the  bishops  and  priests 
were  captured,  some  were  martyred  on  the  spot,  others 
were  carried  to  Persia  and  there  executed.  The  patriarch 
Joseph,  in  whose  character  and  life  shine  forth  piety, 
courage,  and  devotion,  was  one  of  those  carried  to  Persia. 

This  was  one  of  the  many  contests  that  the  Armenians 
had  with  the  fire-worshiping  Persians.  Indeed  did 


140 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


the  sons  of  Armenia  prefer  a  Christian  grave  to  the 
heathen’s  home. 

“  Her  head  was  crowned  with  flowers, 

Her  feet  were  bathed  with  spray. 

Hers  were  the  land  of  Eden, 

The  cradle  of  our  race. 

“  But  then  upon  her  borders, 

Shouted  the  Persian  horde  : 

‘  Fall  down  and  worship  fire 
Or  perish  by  the  sword.’ 

“Then  up  sprang  Armenia 

And  raised  her  voice  on  high, 

And  back  to  haughty  Persia 
Rang  loud  the  warlike  cry  : 

“  ‘  I  will  not  be  a  heathen, 

I  will  not  be  a  slave  ; 

If  I  cannot  have  a  Christian’s  home, 

I’ll  find  a  Christian’s  grave.’  ’’ 

Christianity  and  Zoroastrianism  had  many  a  battle  in 
the  land  of  Ararat,  until  the  latter,  in  total  despair,  was 
willing  to  submit  to  the  former,  on  some  amicable  terms 
to  be  suggested  by  a  brave  son  of  Armenia,  a  worthy 
member  of  the  house  of  Mamigonians.  This  valiant 
champion  of  truth  was  Vahan  Mamigonian,  whose  father 
and  uncle,  Prince  Vartan,  led  the  Holy  League  in  battle, 
and  with  the  heroism  and  courage  of  the  martyrs  de¬ 
fended  their  religion  and  rights  and  had  sealed  their 
testimony  to  the  truth  of  Christianity  by  their  blood  in 
the  previous  battle. 

The  Persians,  after  their  conquest  of  Armenia,  de¬ 
stroyed  many  of  the  churches  and  schools,  persecuted 
the  Christians  with  indescribable  tortures  and  cruelties, 


CONVERSION  OF  THE  ARMENIANS.  141 

and  inculcated  Zoroastrianism  among  the  Armenians, 
who  in  return  most  cordially  hated  both  the  religion  of 
Zoroaster  and  its  defenders,  and  were  alert  for  an  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  drive  out  these  usurpers  and  unwelcomed 
teachers  of  a  philosophized  religion,  spun  out  of  Zoroas¬ 
ter’s  imagination.  The  northern  provinces  rebelled 
against  the  Persians ;  the  latter,  therefore,  attempted  to 
subdue  them.  The  Armenians  availed  themselves  of 
this  ample  occasion,  armed  themselves,  and  urged  Va- 
han  to  take  the  lead  of  the  army  to  clear  out  of  the 
country  the  troops  of  the  enemy  left  there.  The  Per¬ 
sian  forces  had  received  such  terrible  disastrous  defeats 
in  various  contests  from  the  Armenians  under  the  com¬ 
mand  of  Vahan,  that  when  a  new  governor,  Nikhor,  was 
appointed  by  Balas,  the  king  of  Persia  (A.  D.  485),  he, 
instead  of  attacking  Vahan,  who  held  almost  the  whole 
of  the  country,  wished  to  come  to  an  arrangement  agree¬ 
able  to  the  Armenians.  Prince  Vahan,  therefore,  pro¬ 
posed  the  following  terms  : — 

“  1.  The  existing  fire-altars  should  be  destroyed,  and 
no  others  should  be  erected  in  Armenia. 

“  2.  The  Armenians  should  be  allowed  the  free  and 
full  exercise  of  Christian  religion,  and  no  Armenians 
should  be  in  future  tempted  or  bribed  to  declare  them¬ 
selves  disciples  of  Zoroaster. 

“  3.  If  converts  were  nevertheless  made  from  Christi¬ 
anity  to  Zoroastrianism,  places  (of  honor)  should  not  be 
given  to  them. 

“  4.  The  Persian  king  should  in  person  and  not  by 
deputy  administer  the  affairs  of  Armenia.”* 


*  Seventh  Oriental  Monarchy,  pages  333,  4. 


142 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


These  terms  proposed  by  Prince  Vahan  were  favorably 
accepted  by  Nikhor,  and  an  edict  of  toleration  was  is¬ 
sued  and  proclaimed  that  every  one  should  be  at  liberty 
to  adhere  to  his  own  religion,  and  that  no  one  should  be 
driven  to  apostatize.  Afterwards  Vahan  himself  was  ap¬ 
pointed  governor  of  Armenia  by  the  king,  and  thus  the 
Church  enjoyed  a  period  of  tranquillity  from  the  perse¬ 
cutions. 

In  the  very  year  while  the  Armenians  were  alone 
fighting  with  the  Persians  in  defense  of  Christianity,  and 
the  verdant  fields  of  Ararat  were  dyed  with  the  blood  of 
the  martyrs,  the  Greek  and  Latin  theologians  were  hold¬ 
ing  their  council  at  Chalcedon,  engaging  the  influence  of 
the  Emperor  to  condemn  the  heresy  of  Eutychus.  He 
had  gone  to  the  other  extremity  of  the  question  with  re¬ 
gard  to  the  person  of  Christ,  for  which  Nestorius  had 
been  condemned  in  the  previous  council  (at  Ephesus, 
A.  D.  431).  The  latter  was  supposed  to  teach  two  per¬ 
sonalities  in  Christ,  on  account  of  his  emphasizing  the 
distinctive  characteristics  of  Christ’s  divine  and  human 
nature.  Eutychus  was  condemned  because  he  made  the 
divine  nature  of  Christ  to  absorb  his  human  nature,  he 
therefore  was  called  a  monophysite. 

The  Armenians  did  not  receive  the  decision  of  the 
Chalcedonian  Council,  not  because  they  were  in  sym¬ 
pathy  with  Eutychus  or  his  doctrine,  but  because  the 
question  did  not  concern  them  at  all.  They  were  also 
contented  with  the  orthodoxy  delivered  to  them  by  the 
teachings  of  the  apostles  and  the  three  former  Ecumen¬ 
ical  Councils,  held  at  Nice,  A.  D.  325,  at  Constantinople, 
A.  D.  381,  and  at  Ephesus,  A.  D.  431.  On  account  of 


CONVERSION  OF  THE  ARMENIANS. 


143 


their  refusal  to  receive  the  decision  of  the  Council  of 
Chalcedon,  the  Greek  and  Latin  writers  represented  and 
condemned  the  Armenians  as  monophysites,  and  their 
church  was  cut  off  from  the  Western  (Latin)  and  the 
Eastern  (Greek)  churches.  It  is  very  surprising  to  see 
a  host  of  writers  on  this  subject  who,  still  drawing  their 
information  from  the  Greek  or  Latin  writers,  speak  of 
the  Armenian  Church  as  attached  to  the  heresy  of 
Eutychus. 

The  following  is  from  the  letter  above  quoted,  written 
in  answer  to  that  of  Mihrnerseh,  the  grand  vizier  of 
Persia,  A.  D.  450,  a  year  before  the  Council  of  Chal¬ 
cedon :  “  He  (Christ)  was  in  reality  God  and  in  reality 
man.  The  Godhead  was  not  withdrawn  through  the 
human  nature,  nor  was  the  human  nature  destroyed  by 
his  remaining  God ;  but  he  is  both  one  and  the  same.” 
A  modern  writer  also  says :  “  It  is  now  evident  that  the 
Armenian  Church  of  St.  Gregory  wholly  rejects  the 
heresy  of  Eutychus,  condemned  by  the  Council  of  Chal¬ 
cedon ;  and  she  does  so  as  much  as  the  Eastern  (Greek) 
Church.”*  Though  this  charge  of  heresy  brought 
against  the  Armenians  by  the  Greeks  and  Latins  was 
absolutely  unfounded,  yet  it  was  a  fertile  source  of  much 
oppression,  persecution,  and  bloodshed,  and  almost  the 
sole  occasion  of  the  overthrow  of  the  last  two  Armenian 
dynasties. 

The  influence  of  the  Greeks  in  the  Grecian  provinces 
of  Armenia  often  outweighed  in  appointing  a  bishop 
over  the  Armenians,  who  would  be  favorably  inclined  to 

*  “The  Life  and  Times  of  St.  Gregory,”  page  31.  By  Malon  : 
London. 


144 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


the  acceptance  of  the  decision  of  the  Chalcedonian 
Council  and  some  other  rites  of  the  Greek  Church. 
Such  appointments  did  take  place,  and  consequently 
they  became  occasions  of  troublesome  dissensions  and 
contentions  among  the  clergy  and  the  laity  of  the  Ar¬ 
menians.  The  Greeks,  taking  advantage  of  such  internal 
troubles,  did  in  vain  try  to  absorb  the  Armenian  Church. 
Some  of  the  prelates  and  others  who  could  plainly  see 
into  the  matter  and  the  evil  intention  of  the  Greeks, 
would  warn  the  people  and  try  to  pacify  the  storm  of 
controversy  to  save  the  church  and  the  nation  from  an 
ecclesiastical  vassalage ;  these  incurred  the  unrighteous 
indignation  of  the  Greeks,  and  suffered  both  persecution 
and  exile. 

The  reader  will  remember  the  successive  events,  cur¬ 
sorily  given  in  the  previous  pages,  relative  to  the  Arme¬ 
nians.  Though  Mohammed,  the  self-called  and  self- 
made  prophet  of  Arabia,  professed  to  be  a  founder  of  a 
new  religion,  yet  Western  Asia  was  not  in  need  of  a  new 
religion,  especially  that  of  Mohammed,  therefore  it  was 
evident  that  as  a  mere  religion  Mohammedanism  would 
undoubtedly  fail.  The  prophet  of  Arabia  was  aware  of 
this  fact,  and  as  soon  as  he  had  some  followers  he  took 
up  the  sword,  the  great  missionary  of  Mohammedanism. 
Well  might  some  tribes  of  Arabia  have  preferred  Mo¬ 
hammedanism  to  their  former  idolatry,  yet  these  even  did 
not  accept  this  religion  for  its  excellency,  but  for  the 
pillage  and’  plunder,  a  wide  field  for  them  to  exercise 
their  inhuman  propensities,  and  for  a  sensual  hereafter, 
depicted  by  a  wild  imagination  to  the  pagan  sons  of 
Arabia,  who  were  excessively  addicted  to  sensualism. 


CONVERSION  OF  THE  ARMENIANS. 


145 


These  wild  sons  of  Arabia,  inspired  by  their  enthusiasm 
and  the  cry  ringing  in  their  ears,  “  Before  you  is  the 
paradise  and  behind  you  are  the  hell  and  destruction,” 
pushed  on  and  overthrew  the  Sassanian  dynasty  of 
Persia  not  very  long  after  the  death  of  Mohammed. 
Zoroastrianism  was  supplanted  by  Mohammedanism, 
and  the  Saracens  succeeded  the  Persians.  They  ex¬ 
celled  them  both  in  cruelty  and  in  intolerance  of  re¬ 
ligion.  These  new  enemies  of  Christianity  were — 
humanly  speaking — endowed  not  only  by  a  depraved 
nature  common  to  all  men,  but  also  by  an  infernal  behest 
from  their  great  leader  “  to  do  aught  good  never  to  be 
their  task,  but  to  do  evil  ever  their  sole  delight ;  ”  they, 
therefore,  with  an  unsatiating  thirst  for  the  blood  of  the 
Christians,  fell  upon  them.  The  beautiful  land  of  Ara¬ 
rat  was  already  saturated  over  and  over  with  the  blood 
of  the  martyrs  from  the  early  days  of  Christianity  to  the 
invasion  of  the  Saracens.  Christian  Armenia,  though 
fatigued  and  exhausted  on  account  of  her  constant  con¬ 
flicts  for  centuries  with  various  forces,  religious  and 
political,  which  militated  against  her  welfare  and  de¬ 
prived  her  of  her  former  glory  and  brave  sons,  who  pro¬ 
tected  her  breast  from  the  violating  hands  of  the  assail¬ 
ants,  was  now  driven  agajn  into  a  fiercer  contest  for  re¬ 
ligious  liberty  and  that  of  conscience,  with  the  bigoted 
Greeks  on  the  one  hand  and  the  rapacious  soldier-mis¬ 
sionaries  of  Mohammedanism  on  the  other  hand. 

The  latter  invaded  Armenia  about  A.  D.  638-9,  and 
slaughtered  a  great  number  of  the  Armenians  who  re¬ 
fused  to  accept  Mohammedanism  in  the  province  of 
Daron;  they  then  marched  on  to  Dovin,  where  the  seat 


146 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


of  the  archbishop  was,  and  put  to  the  sword  twelve 
thousand  of  the  people  in  cold  blood  and  carried  away 
thirty-five  thousand  of  them  as  captives.  Again  they 
returned  and  attacked  the  Armenians,  who  promised 
allegiance  to  the  Saracens  on  the  condition  that  they 
would  be  tolerated  to  enjoy  their  Christian  religion. 
When  the  Greeks  heard  of  this  they  were  exasperated 
and  marched  with  a  great  force  against  the  Armenians 
to  entirely  erase  them  out  of  existence.  The  leaders  of 
the  people,  fearful  of  the  fury  of  the  Greeks,  whose  sol¬ 
diery  was  little  inferior  in  cruelty  to  the  Arabs,  appeased 
their  unsanctified  wrath  and  turned  them  from  such  a 
fearful  attempt  and  folly  with  the  assurance  of  their 
fidelity  to  them.  This  resulted  also  in  the  destruction 
of  seventeen  hundred  and  seventy-five  hostages  taken 
by  the  Arabs  when  they  heard  of  this  Armeno-Greek 
alliance. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  seventh  century  the  Greeks 
invaded  Armenia  and  devastated  twenty-five  provinces 
and  carried  away  eight  thousand  families  into  captivity ; 
not  very  long  after  this  event  the  Saracens  invaded  the 
country  again  and  secured  the  entire  submission  of  the 
people.  The  news  of  this  event  enraged  the  Greek 
Emperor  Justinius  II.  again,  who  with  an  immense 
army  attacked  the  Armenians  and  captured  the  prelate 
Isaac  and  five  other  bishops.  After  receiving  a  sufficient 
number  of  hostages  from  the  Armenians  he  left  the 
prelates  alone  and  returned  to  Constantinople. 

It  was  only  a  few  years  after  this  that  the  Saracens, 
under  the  leadership  of  Abdullah,  fell  upon  the  Arme¬ 
nians  and  plundered  the  churches  and  monasteries  and 


CONVERSION  OF  THE  ARMENIANS. 


147 


desecrated  the  sacred  edifices,  and  the  prelate  Isaac  was 
carried  to  Damascus  in  chains,  who  ended  his  eventful 
life  of  martrydom  while  a  prisoner. 

Isaac  was  succeeded  by  Elias,  the  archbishop  of  Ar¬ 
menia,  and  Gashim,  or  Gashum,  was  appointed  by  the  ca¬ 
liph  governor  of  the  country.  Gashim  by  no  means  was 
inferior  in  cruelty  to  the  previous  Arab  generals.  He 
gathered  all  the  leading  men  into  the  Church  of  Nachit- 
chvan,  pretending  to  make  a  treaty  of  peace  with  them  ; 
he  then  set  the  church  on  fire  and  burnt  them  alive. 

Why  should  we  weary  the  reader  with  the  narration  of 
such  doleful  events  ?  There  is  no  pleasure  in  narrating 
these  facts,  but  grief  and  often  tears,  and  surely  none 
will  read  them  with  any  delight.  Were  it  anything  de¬ 
lightful  to  write  or  read  what  the  Oriental  Christians 
have  suffered  by  the  hands  of  the  Mohammedans,  and 
to  what  degree  they  have  been  oppressed  and  degraded, 
how  many  millions  of  the  Christian  children  have  been 
torn  away  from  the  bosoms  of  their  mothers  and  have 
been  nurtured  in  Mohammedan  faith  to  defend  it ;  how 
many  thousands  of  beautiful  virgins  and  women  have 
been  taken  violently  from  the  arms  of  their  parents  and 
husbands  to  fill  the  harems  of  the  Mohammedan  officers, 
generals,  caliphs,  and  sultans  for  their  sensual  gratifica¬ 
tions;  and  no  one  can  tell  the  number  of  the  martyred 
but  He  who  has  crowned  them ;  these  all  indeed  would 
have  furnished  materials  for  hundreds  of  volumes  yet  to 
be  written  beside  the  numerous  volumes  already  written 
on  these  topics. 

If  the  Greeks,  instead  of  merely  having  the  name, 
had  the  spirit  of  Christianity  and  had  united  with  the 


148 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


Armenians  in  a  noble  defense  of  Christianity  both  against 
Zoroastrianism  and  Mohammedanism  and  had  not 
weakened  by  idle  controversies  and  had  not  spread 
misery  and  oppression  in  a  kindred  Christian  country, 
they  themselves  would  not  have  experienced  such  an 
ignominious  defeat  at  the  hands  of  the  Mohammedans, 
the  common  enemy  of  Christianity,  so  soon  after  the 
overthrow  of  the  Armenian  dynasty  in  Cilicia. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


THE  ARMENIAN  CHURCH. 

The  Armenian  Church  was  and  still  is  a  national 
church,  therefore,  the  prosperity  of  the  nation  was  also 
the  prosperity  of  the  church.  The  nation  had  but  little 
rest  after  her  embrace  of  Christianity.  Christian  Arme¬ 
nia  during  the  first  three  centuries  of  her  existence  made 
such  a  defense  of  her  faith  against  Zoroastrianism  that 
the  latter  was  completely  paralyzed  and  no  longer  able 
to  lift  up  the  sword  against  the  followers  of  Christ.  But 
with  the  rise  of  Mohammedanism,  a  more  formidable, 
cruel,  unjust,  and  inhuman  enemy  arose.  The  Saracens 
or  the  Arabs,  who  were  both  the  soldiers  and  mission¬ 
aries  of  Mohammedanism,  literally  panted  after  the 
blood  of  the  Christians  as  the  hart  panteth  after  the 
water  brooks.  Even  these,  after  sucking  all  the  blood 
that  they  could  imbibe,  fell  off  like  swollen  leeches  and 
themselves  were  swallowed  up  by  the  Seljukian,  Tartar, 
and  Mongolian  Turks,  who  surpassed  even  the  Arabs  in 
cruelty  and  deserved  to  be  called  “the  unspeakable 
Turk.”  The  Greeks,  with  all  their  subtility,  volatility, 
perfidy,  intrigues,  and  intolerable  bigotry,  could  do  no 
more  than  to  cause  some  of  the  corruptions  of  their 
church  to  creep  into  the  Armenian  Church.  But  this  is 
not  all ;  for  while  the  Armenians  were  driven  into  the 

(149) 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


150 

mountainous  district  of  Cilicia,  the  land  of  the  brave 
Apostle  Paul,  by  the  Mongolian  and  Tartar  invaders, 
who  spread  desolation,  destruction,  and  death  wherever 
their  feet  touched  the  soil,  there  came  with  the  appear¬ 
ance  of  the  crusaders  in  the  East  a  number  of  zealous 
missionaries  of  the  Romish  Church,  who  instead  of 
preaching  and  converting  millions  of  Mohammedans  to 
Christianity,  tried  to  bring  the  Armenian  Church  into  a 
subordination  and  jurisdiction  of  the  Pope  of  Rome. 
Though  the  missionaries  of  the  Romish  Church  un¬ 
doubtedly  knew  that  their  church  excelled  the  Church 
of  Armenia  in  corruption,  in  superstition,  and  in  non- 
scriptural  claims  and  dogmas,  yet  they  took  advantage 
of  the  oppressed  condition  of  the  people  and  persistent¬ 
ly  disturbed  their  church.  The  overthrow  of  the  politi¬ 
cal  existence  of  the  Armenians,  according  to  some,  is 
due  to  their  intercourse  with  the  Western  nations,  as  we 
have  seen.  After  this  overthrow  the  Church  of  Arme¬ 
nia  became  both  the  custodian  of  the  nation’s  existence 
and  the  defender  of  her  independence. 

The  Armenians,  owing  to  the  frequent  incursions, 
devastations,  barbarous  massacres,  and  being  led  captives 
in  great  numbers  by  the  Saracens,  afterwards  by  the 
Mongolian  and  Tartar  hordes,  were  compelled  to 
immigrate  into  safer  districts  and  countries,  especially 
after  the  overthrow  of  the  independent  dynasty  in 
Cilicia. 

When  Constantinople  was  taken  by  the  Turks,  Sultan 
Mohammed  II.  appointed  Bishop  Ovaghim,  of  Broussa, 
the  patriarch  over  the  Armenians  then  in  Constantinople 
and  in  the  vicinity.  This  naturally  also  drew  a  good 


THE  ARMENIAN  CHURCH. 


151 

number  of  the  Armenians  from  other  parts,  while  nearly 
two  centuries  before  this  time  Jerusalem  was  also  made 
the  seat  of  a  patriarch. 

The  seats  of  the  archbishops  at  Sis,  in  Cilicia,  Akhta- 
mar,  in  the  island  of  Lake  Van  and  Etchmiadzin,  were 
occupied  by  bishops  wearing  the  title  of  Catholicos. 
Some  of  the  occupants  of  these  seats  were  very  much 
like  some  of  the  popes  of  Rome;  at  the  expense  of 
honor,  distinction,  and  the  well-being  of  their  people, 
they  sought  honor  and  distinction,  but  some  others 
nobly  suffered  privation,  persecution,  exile,  and  martyr¬ 
dom  with  their  flock. 

The  papal  missionaries,  under  the  order  of  the 
Unitors,  who  had  insidiously  sown  the  seeds  of  dissen¬ 
sion  in  the  Armenian  Church,  took  advantage  of  every 
calamity  that  befel  the  people,  and  afterwards  being  also 
augmented  by  the  Jesuits  and  their  sagacity,  until  they 
converted  this  dissension  into  a  volcanic  eruption  about 
the  beginning  of  the  last  century.  Consequently  thou¬ 
sands  of  the  Armenians  avowed  their  allegiance  in 

spiritual  matters  to  the  Pope  of  Rome. 

The  Mohammedan  conquerors  always  dealt  with  their 
Christian  subjects  with  the  utmost  contempt,  unmodified 
injustice,  unabated  cruelty,  and  relentless  persecution. 
Undoubtedly  did  many  of  the  people  delude  themselves 
with  the  idea  that  by  uniting  with  the  Romish  Church 
they  would  enjoy  protection  through  the  influence  of 
Romish  France,  then  more  influential  in  the  East,  for  it 
is  quite  improbable  that  they  could  believe  that  the 
Romish  Church  was  any  better  in  simplicity  and  purity 
than  the  old  Armenian  Church. 


152 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


The  superiority  of  the  educational  institutions  of  the 
Jesuits  to  that  of  the  Armenians  was  also  an  inducement 
then  for  some  of  the  youths  to  flock  into  their  schools. 
The  monastery,  founded  by  Mekhitar,  of  Sebastia  (now 
Sivas),  about  the  beginning  of  the  last  century  in  St. 
Lazarus’  Island,  in  Italy,  and  the  literary  pursuits  of  the 
Mekhitarits,  who  edited  many  old  Armenian  writings 
and  translated  from  the  Latin  writers,  always  tinted  with 
the  papal  views,  rendered  great  service  to  the  Romish 
Church.  Many  a  sad  event  is  connected  with  this  papal 
movement  which  our  space  will  not  allow  us  to  narrate ; 
but  suffice  it  to  say  that  this  movement  resulted  in  the 
separation  of  about  one  hundred  thousand  Armenians 
from  the  Armenian  Church  (this  separation  took  place 
in  1830),  and  it  has  now  a  standstill  condition. 

The  following  is  from  a  French  writer,  M.  A.  Ubicini, 
who  speaks  of  these  sad  events  in  detail:  “Fortunately 
for  the  Catholics,  they  found  a  powerful  protector  in  De 
Feriol,  the  French  ambassador,  who  obtained  an  order 
from  the  Porte,  in  1703  for  the  deposition  and  banish¬ 
ment  of  the  (Armenian)  patriarch  Avedik.  Exiled  to 
Chios,  he  was  clandestinely  carried  off  during  the  pas¬ 
sage,  and  conducted,  some  say  to  Messina,  others  to  Mar¬ 
seilles,  and  thence  to  the  Island  of  St.  Marguerite,  where 
he  died  of  martyrdom.  There  were  strong  grounds  for 
suspecting  the  Jesuits  established  in  Chios  and  at  Galata 
of  having  contrived  this  plot  in  concert  with  the  French 
ambassador.”* 

The  Armenian  Church  claims  to  be  apostolic  in  its 
origin,  Christianity  being  introduced  into  Armenia  by  the 


*  “  Letters  on  Turkey,”  volume  II.,  pages  256-7. 


THE  ARMENIAN  CHURCH. 


153 


Apostles,  and  having  survived  the  persecutions  of  heath¬ 
enism  during  the  first  three  centuries,  had  finally  sub¬ 
dued  the  entire  nation  about  the  end  of  the  third  century. 
As  it  has  been  said  before,  St.  Gregory  the  Illuminator 
was  sent  to  Caesarea,  Cappadocia,  to  be  ordained  Bishop 
of  Armenia  A.  D.  302.  This  custom  of  the  ordination 
of  the  bishops  of  Armenia  at  Caesarea  lasted  until 
the  patriarchate  of  Nerses  the  Great  (A.  D.  363), 
one  of  the  noblest  and  holiest  bishops  of  the  Armenian 
Church. 

During  the  period  of  his  patriarchate  the  clergy  and 
the  laity  of  the  nation  unanimously  agreed  to  have  their 
bishops  ordained  in  Armenia  by  the  Armenian  bishops. 
It  is  evident,  therefore,  from  the  fact  that  there  is  no 
higher  rank  or  order  than  that  of  a  bishop  or  presbyter, 
which  names  are  interchangeably  used  in  the  New  Test¬ 
ament,  as  Vartabed  (doctor)  M.  Muradian,  of  Jerusalem, 
correctly  states  in  his  recent  “  History  of  the  Apostolic 
Church  of  Armenia.”*  Here  it  may  be  also  interesting 
to  add  as  a  fact  of  history  that  St.  Gregory  and  his  im¬ 
mediate  successors,  his  sons  and  grandsons,  and  for  a 
length  of  several  centuries,  the  bishops  were  married  and 
the  heads  of  families.  Celibacy  was  not  required  of 
them,  neither  separation,  but  it  was  optional  with  them 
to  choose  either,  or  none. 

“  The  election  of  the  bishops,  like  that  of  all  the 
Armenian  clergy,  takes  place  by  universal  suffrage,” 
the  ordination,  at  Etchmiadzin,  Akhtamar,  or  at  Sis, 
by  the  presiding  bishop  or  Catholicos  and  his  asso¬ 
ciates. 


*  See  page  35  in  the  original. 


154 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


The  priests  or  elders  (yeretzk)  are  chosen  by  the  peo¬ 
ple  from  among  themselves,  who  are  expected  to  have  a 
tolerable  knowledge  of  the  Bible  and  the  liturgy  of  the 
church — some  in  former  days  knew  very  little  of  either 
— and  are  ordained  by  the  bishops.  The  priests  live 
with  their  families  among  the  people  and  are  occupied 
with  their  daily  duties  in  the  church  services  morning 
and  evening;  they  perform  also  baptism  for  the  infants, 
and  marrying  and  burying  the  young  and  old. 

“  The  Armenian  clergy  receive  no  stipends,  and  exact 
no  contributions  like  those  of  the  Greek  Church;  their 
revenues  depend  entirely  on  the  voluntary  contributions 
of  the  faithful ;  it  is  therefore  rare  to  meet  with  a  wealthy 
priest,  though  some  few  are  in  easy  circumstances.” 

“  With  respect  to  morals  also,  though  it  is  difficult  to 
pronounce  absolutely  on  the  subject,  the  Armenian 
clergy  appear  to  be  very  superior  to  the  Greek.”*  The 
deacons  are  elected  and  ordained  like  the  priests,  and 
have  no  income  whatever ;  they  serve  the  church  and 
assist  the  priests  in  the  daily  services  of  the  church. 

There  is  another  class  of  the  clergy  of  the  Armenian 
Church.  Those  forming  this  class  are  called  Vartabeds , 
or  doctors  in  theology.  It  is  very  probable  that  the 
very  necessity  of  the  case  created  this  order.  In  the 
former  days,  after  the  conversion  of  the  Armenian  na¬ 
tion  to  Christianity,  most  of  the  literary  men  were  of 
the  clergyand  the  monasteries  became  the  seats  of  learn¬ 
ing,  and  those  who  loved  a  literary  life  would  retire  to 
those  places  and  pursue  such  a  course.  Asceticism  of 
the  East  also  must  have  played  a  good  part  in  it. 


*  “  Letters  on  Turkey,”  volume  II.,  pages  285-6. 


THE  ARMENIAN  CHURCH. 


155 


They  at  first,  most  likely,  voluntarily  preferred  celibacy, 
in  order  to  devote  their  whole  time  to  learning  and 
teaching,  who  were  ordained  evangelists  to  visit  the 
churches  and  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  people,  who 
were  so  often  persecuted  and  oppressed  by  their  ene¬ 
mies.  But  what  was  with  them  optional  has  become  now 
a  condition  for  that  order,  though  “  the  Vartabeds  form 
the  most  enlightened  and  learned  portion  of  the  Ar¬ 
menian  clergy,”  and  from  them  are  the  bishops  elected 
and  ordained,  but  unfortunately  “  they  are  restricted  to 
celibacy.” 

The  Armenian  Church  differs  from  that  of  Rome  on 
the  following  points:  (1.)  It  denies  the  supremacy  of 
the  bishop  of  Rome.  (2.)  It  rejects  the  authority  of  the 
Council  of  Chalcedon  as  ecumenic.  (3.)  It  rejects  the 
introduction  of  jilioque  into  the  creed,  but  admits  that 
the  Holy  Spirit  proceeds  from  the  Father.  (4.)  It  re¬ 
jects  the  Romish  doctrine  of  purgatory.  (5.)  It  rejects 
also  indulgences.  (6.)  It  does  not  withhold  the  Bible 
from  the  people,  but  encourages  them  to  read  it. 

The  orthodoxy  of  the  Armenian  Church  would  not 
have  been  questioned  by  some  of  the  Western  writers 
had  they  drawn  their  information  from  the  native  au¬ 
thors,  instead  of  drawing  them  from  some  later  Greek 
and  Latin  writers.  The  following  is  a  translation  from 
a  recent  Armenian  work,  entitled  “  The  History  of  the 
Holy  Apostolic  Church  of  Armenia.”  The  author  is 
Vartabed  M.  Muradian,  of  St.  James’  Monastery  at 
Jerusalem : — 

“  It  is  sweet  and  comforting  to  discourse  of  the  re¬ 
vealed  truths  of  the  Bible,  which  is  the  only  foundation 


i$6 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


of  undefiled  doctrine,  to  which  always  have  the  holy 
church  fathers  trusted  for  the  defense  of  faith. 

“  The  Bible  teaches  concerning  God  two  things  :  first, 
that  God  is  one  and  there  is  no  other  God  beside  Him  ; 
second,  that  divine  nature  is  common  to  the  Father,  to 
the  Son,  and  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  these  three  persons 
have  one  Godhead.  This  is  the  faith  of  the  Christians 
in  harmony  with  the  manifest  words  of  the  Bible.  This 
trinity  is  the  foundation  of  the  Christian  faith,  and  the 
three  persons  have  one  influence  for  our  salvation,  but 
in  different  ways  of  manifesting  it;  that  is,  the  Father 
calls  and  causes  us  to  approach  His  Son,  whom  He  be¬ 
gat  from  eternity  and  prepared  His  coming.  The  Son 
came  from  heaven  and  was  united  with  human  nature 
that  He  might  save  us  from  sin  and  give  eternal  life  to 
our  souls.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  our  regenerator,  who  re¬ 
established  in  us  the  likeness  of  God,  making  us  recep¬ 
tive  of  the  salvation  offered  of  God. 

“The  Bible  teaches  that  Christ,  on  account  of  His 
eternal  generation  from  the  Father,  is  called  the  Son  of 
God,  but  for  His  incarnation  in  time,  the  Son  of  man, 
brother  of  men,  through  whom  we  obtained  the  right  to 
call  God  our  Father,  and  for  this  reason  the  Church 
confesses  in  the  personality  of  Christ  two  natures, 
divine  and  human ,  distinct  and  inseparable  in  their 
union.  This  mystery  of  incarnation  is  the  great  mys¬ 
tery  of  God’s  love  for  the  world ;  and  as  much  as  this  is 
incomprehensible  and  inconceivable  by  human  intelli¬ 
gence,  so  much  is  it  natural  with  divine  love  and  omnip¬ 
otent  nature.  In  this  great  mystery  was  the  salvation 
of  mankind,  for  this  the  entire  humanity  waited,  and, 


THE  ARMENIAN  CHURCH. 


T5  7 


therefore,  the  law  and  the  prophets  in  this  mystery  of 
incarnation  were  fulfilled.  Because  Christ,  as  the  true 
Messiah,  performed  prophetic,  priestly,  and  kingly  of¬ 
fices,  and  became  for  us  true  Prophet ,  true  Priest ,  and 
true  King ;  teaching  the  doctrine  of  redemption,  eluci¬ 
dating  the  past,  the  present,  and  the  future  of  mankind, 
forgiving  and  redeeming  us  through  the  sacrifice  of 
Himself,  and  reigning  over  us  with  a  heavenly  and 
spiritual  kingdom. 

“  The  Bible  teaches  that  the  Holy  Spirit  proceeds  and 
flows  from  the  Father,  not  as  a  common  influence  of 
God,  but  as  a  person  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  infinite,  eter¬ 
nal,  a  true  God.  But  with  respect  to  us  the  Holy  Spirit 
is  the  source  of  union  of  God  to  man,  the  seal  by  which 
we  are  known  as  Christians ;  because  without  the  Holy 
Spirit’s  dwelling  in  us,  His  help  and  guidance,  we  are 
only  alive,  for  the  Holy  Spirit  is  co-worker  with  the 
Father  and  the  Son  for  our  salvation  ;  and  as  the  mani¬ 
festation  of  God  through  Christ  to  the  world  is  called 
redemption,  so  also  the  revelation  of  God  through  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  denominated  regeneration  and  sanctificatio?i. 

“  At  this  present  day  there  is  not  a  book  like  the  Bible 
from  which  the  intellectual  world  has  been  able  to  de¬ 
rive  so  much  good  for  the  real  well-being  and  progress 
of  human  society.  There  is  not  a  book,  and  cannot  be, 
that  is  translated  into  so  many  languages  and  is  distrib¬ 
uted  so  extensively  as  the  Bible.  Our  immortal  trans¬ 
lators  felt  this  great  want,  and  they  began  the  first  step 
of  the  nation’s  enlightenment  and  progress  by  the  trans¬ 
lation  and  study  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  this  trans¬ 
lation  is  so  choice,  that,  with  various  praises  bestowed 


158 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


upon  it  by  the  European  scholars  of  the  present  century, 
who  know  the  Armenian  language,  it  is  called  the 
‘  Queen  of  Versions !  But  we  will  be  giving  a  still 
greater  praise  to  our  forefathers  if  we  generalize  the 
study  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  among  our  people  and 
rear  the  edifice  of  education  upon  that  solid  foundation 
of  the  Word  of  God.”* 

By  no  means  should  the  reader  think  that  the  writer 
is  partial  in  not  telling  something  of  the  superstitions, 
formalism,  and  ignorance  still  in  existence  and  practice 
among  the  Armenians  and  in  their  church.  It  has  often 
been  written  and  spoken,  even  with  a  great  lack  both  of 
knowledge  and  charity.  Had  those  writers  on  these  as¬ 
pects  of  the  Armenian  Church  and  people  remembered 
that  for  almost  fifteen  centuries  this  church  has  been  in  con¬ 
stant  conflict  with  paganism,  Zoroastrianism,  Mohammed¬ 
anism,  and  the  evil  influences  of  the  corrupt  Greek  and 
Roman  Churches,  they  would  not  have  been  so  severe 
in  their  denunciations  of  that  old  relic  of  the  ancient 
Christian  Church.  Often  were  the  bishops  and  priests 
in  the  battle-field  with  their  flocks  against  the  enemy  of 
the  church.  Often  were  they  in  chains,  in  imprison¬ 
ments,  in  hostage,  at  the  pagan,  Mohammedan,  and  so- 
called  Christian  courts ;  often  were  they  carried  away 
into  captivity  and  massacred  by  their  captors.  How 
could  they  give  more  attention  than  they  did  give  to  the 
education  and  enlightenment  of  their  people  and  to  the 
purity  of  the  Church.  Even  to-day  the  best  intellects 
of  the  Armenian  clergy,  the  lovers  of  the  reform  and 

*“  History  of  the  Holy  Apostolic  Church  of  Armenia,”  pages 
117-121,  127-8. 


THE  ARMENIAN  CHURCH. 


159 


purity  of  the  Church  and  people,  are  in  either  exile  or 
bondage  by  the  Russian  and  Ottoman  Empires.  These 
circumstances  certainly  will  not  justify  the  condition 
of  the  Armenian  Church,  but  they  ought  to  modify  the 
severity  of  our  judgment  and  fill  us  with  a  deeper 
sympathy,  with  a  truer  Christian  love  and  activity  for  its 
reform,  purity,  and  spiritual  prosperity. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  CHURCH. 

It  did  not  seem  necessary  in  the  previous  chapter  to 
point  out  certain  unimportant  ceremonies,  formalisms, 
and  superstitious  practices  still  in  existence  in  the  Ar¬ 
menian  Church.  But  it  has  been  admitted  that  the  Ar¬ 
menians  were  not  able  to  preserve  the  noble  apostolic 
Armenian  Church  in  its  simplicity  and  purity,  as  it  was 
received  by  our  forefathers,  owing  to  the  persecutions, 
oppressions,  and  the  corrupt  influences  of  both  the  so- 
called  Christian  and  non-Christian  nations  who  so  often 
annoyed  the  church  and  the  nation. 

To  whatever  causes  we  may  attribute  the  present  con¬ 
dition  of  the  church,  they  will  not  alter  the  fact  of  its 
being  in  need  of  reformation.  It,  moreover,  was  nothing 
but  natural  to  expect  that  the  reformation  in  Europe, 
which  shook  the  foundations  of  the  great  empires,  could 
not  help  but  spread  its  silent  and  salutary  influence  all 
over  the  world. 

So  we  find  an  Armenian  priest,  who  wrote  a  book  in 
1760,  praising  the  great  reformer,  Martin  Luther,  and 
his  work,  and  calling  the  attention  of  the  people  to  the 
need  of  the  church  for  reformation.  Though  his  book 
was  never  printed,  it  was,  more  or  less,  circulated  and 
did  its  good  work. 

The  publication  and  circulation  of  the  Bible  by  the 

(160) 


THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  CHURCH.  l6l 

British  and  Russian  Bible  Societies  succeeded  the  above 
incident  in  the  beginning  of  this  century.  These  events 
paved  the  way  for  a  greater  movement. 

It  was  only  a  few  years  after  the  organization  of  the 
American  Board  that  “  the  missionary  Parsons  (when)  on 
his  first  visit  to  Jerusulem,  in  1821,  encountered  some 
Armenian  pilgrims,*  whose  interesting  conversation 
drew  from  him  the  suggestion  of  a  mission  to  Armenia 
itself.  ‘  We  shall  rejoice/  said  they,  ‘and  all  will  rejoice 
when  they  arrive.’  ” 

Several  Armenian  clergymen  espoused  the  cause  of 
reformation  in  1826  at  Beirut,  Syria.  Two  of  them, 
Bishop  Dionysius  and  Krikor  Vartabed,  like  Paul  and 
Barnabas,  traveled  through  Asia  Minor,  preaching  the 
gospel  to  the  people  with  great  acceptance.  “  These 
brethren  assured  the  missionaries  that  the  minds  of  the 
Armenian  people  were  wonderfully  inclined  towards  the 
pure  gospel,  and  that  should  preachers  go  among  them 
doubtless  thousands  would  be  ready  to  receive  the  truth. 
They  themselves  wrote  letters  to  their  countrymen, 
which  excited  no  little  attention.”f 

The  publication  and  circulation  of  several  thousand 
copies  of  the  Scriptures,  and  their  being  eagerly  read  by 
the  leading  men,  the  labors  of  these  and  other  Armenian 
ecclesiastics,  and  especially  the  training  school  for  priests 
at  Constantinople,  which  was  committed  to  the  charge 
of  Peshtimaljian,  “a  profound  scholar,  a  theologian, 

*It  is  still  the  custom  of  the  Oriental  Christians  to  goto  Jerusa¬ 
lem  in  the  time  of  Easter  in  great  numbers  as  pilgrims. 

f“  Historical  sketch  of  the  missions  of  the  American  Board  in 
Turkey,”  page  3. 


162 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


and  an  humble  student  of  the  Bible — a  sort  of  an 
Oriental  Melancthon,  even  in  his  timidity” — were  in¬ 
dubitable  signs  of  a  wonderful  reformation. 

“The  Syrian  Mission  had  been  established  by  Rev. 
Pliny  Fisk  and  Rev.  Levi  Parsons,  who  left  this  coun¬ 
try  in  1819.”  Revs.  W.  Goodell  and  Bird  were  ap¬ 
pointed  by  the  American  Board  in  1823  to  join  this 
mission.  Messrs.  Goodell  and  Bird,  however,  were  de¬ 
sirous  to  begin  their  work  at  Jerusalem,  but  owing  to 
the  disturbed  condition  of  affairs  at  that  city  they  com¬ 
menced  their  work  at  Beirut,  Syria. 

On  account  of  the  Greek  revolution  being  in  progress 
and  for  this  reason  the  Christians  everywhere,  and  espe¬ 
cially  in  the  seaport  cities,  were  treated  with  the  great¬ 
est  barbarity  by  the  Turks,  as  they  are  now.  Dr.  Good¬ 
ell  wrote  from  Beirut,  May  15th,  1826:  “  Human  beings 
whose  guilt  is  no  greater  than  that  of  their  proud  op¬ 
pressors  are  condemned  without  a  trial,  their  flesh  trem¬ 
bling  for  fear,  their  religion  blasphemed,  their  Saviour 
insulted,  their  comforts  despoiled,  their  lives  threatened, 
and  their  bodies  filled  with  pain,  and  deeply  marked  with 
the  blows  inflicted  by  Turkish  barbarity.” 

The  condition  of  affairs  compelled  the  American  and 
English  missionaries  and  their  Armenian  assistants  to 
repair  to  the  Island  of  Malta  for  protection  under  the 
British  rule.  At  Malta  Mr.  Goodell  and  his  Armenian 
assistants*  completed  the  translation  of  the  New  Testa¬ 
ment  into  the  Armeno-Turkishf  in  1830. 

*  Bishop  Dionysius  was  one  of  Mr.  Goodell’s  assistants, 
f  The  Armeno-Turkish  language  is  not  a  distinct  language, 
but  it  is  Turkish  written  in  Armenian  characters. 


THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  CHURCH.  1 63 

The  following  year  Dr.  Goodell  was  instructed  by  the 
American  Board  to  go  to  Constantinople  and  commence 
a  distinct  mission  among  the  Armenians.  He  was  fol¬ 
lowed  in  due  time  by  the  Revs.  Drs.  Dwight,  Schauffler, 
Riggs,  Bliss,  Hamlin,  Van  Lennep,  Wood,  and  others 
as  missionaries  sent  by  the  Board. 

The  missionaries  were  strangers  in  the  land,  and  had 
no  other  means  than  their  opening  schools  and  printing 
press  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  people.  The  portions 
of  the  Bible  and  other  religious  tracts  were  published 
and  circulated  among  the  people,  and  in  the  scarcity  of 
reading  matter  these  books  and  pamphlets  were  eagerly 
read  by  them,  and  not  without  good  results. 

Indeed,  a  profound  love  for  the  reformation  of  the 
Armenian  Church  had  taken  possession  of  the  minds  of 
many  leading  men  among  the  nation  who  were  trying  to 
do  all  they  could.  But  both  their  knowledge  and  ex¬ 
perience  were  limited  ;  they  needed  a  wise  leader  or 
leaders  who  could  direct  the  movement  in  a  way  so  as 
to  accomplish  the  desired  end.  Some  of  them,  when 
they  came  into  contact  with  the  missionaries,  thought 
Divine  Providence  had  sent  these  men  to  take  the  lead 
of  this  noble  movement.  They  implicitly  confided  in 
the  wisdom  and  ability  of  the  missionaries  to  do 
this.* 

The  sagacity,  magnanimity,  and  the  piety  of  those 
missionaries  were  unquestionable.  They  showed  their 
wisdom  in  the  fact  that  they  “  steadily  pursued  the  policy 

*  The  Orientals  have  an  admirable  kind  of  coolness  and  cour¬ 
age.  Give  them  a  leader  in  whom  they  have  confidence,  and  they 
will  follow  him  to  the  death.— Cyrus  Hamlin. 


164 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


of  disseminating  the  truth  without  making  attacks  upon 
the  Armenian  Church.” 

The  silent  influences  of  this  reformation  spread  far  and 
wide  in  the  city  of  Constantinople  and  its  suburbs.  The 
Romish  Church,  through  its  Jesuit  missionaries,  had 
carried  on  the  work  of  proselyting  the  Armenians  for 
several  centuries,  and  she  had  thousands  of  adherents. 
She,  moreover,  had  experienced  the  mighty  power  of 
such  a  movement  in  Europe,  and  she,  therefore,  was  first 
to  attempt  to  stop  the  progress  of  this  movement  in  the 
East.  It  was  in  1836  that  the  Romish  patriarch  pub¬ 
licly  denounced  the  missionaries  and  their  books.  His 
evil  example  was  followed  by  the  Armenian  and  Greek 
patriarchs  of  the  same  city,  Constantinople,  four  years 
later. 

Thus  the  spirit  of  hatred  and  persecution  was  instilled 
into  the  minds  of  different  communities  by  their  respect¬ 
ive  representatives.  But  this  movement  being  mostly 
among  the  Armenians,  their  patriarch  took  a  more 
active  part  in  issuing  anathemas  and  sending  them  to 
the  provinces,  and  he  caused  them  to  be  read  in  all  the 
churches. 

The  Armenian  Church  was  sorely  wounded  by  the 
Romish  Church  and  its  missionaries.  A  national  unity 
meant  and  still  means  to  the  Armenians  a  national 
church,  and  a  separation  from  the  church  was  considered 
a  division  in  the  nation,  not  only  by  the  Armenians  but 
by  the  government  under  which  they  were.  The  Ar¬ 
menian  patriarch  and  the  leaders  of  the  nation,  there¬ 
fore,  thought  the  suppression  of  this  evangelical  work 
might  be  a  prevention  of  such  a  division  which  had 


THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  CHURCH. 


165 


taken  place  in  the  case  of  the  followers  of  the  Romish 
missionaries  in  1830.  The  patriarch  and  his  subordi¬ 
nates,  who  took  violent  measures  of  persecution  against 
those  who  favored  and  labored  for  the  reformation  of  the 
church,  were  not  aware  of  the  fact  that  the  intention  of 
the  missionaries  was  not  to  create  a  like  separation  from 
the  church.  The  following  is  the  language  of  Rev.  Dr. 
Goodell :  “  We  ourselves,  at  this  place,  have  nothing  to 
do  with  the  church,  its  dogmas,  ceremonies,  and  super¬ 
stitions.  *  *  *  Nor  do  we  make  any  attempt  to 

establish  a  new  church  to  raise  a  new  party.  We  dis¬ 
claim  everything  of  the  kind.  We  tell  them  frankly, 
you  have  sects  enough  among  you  already,  and  we  have 
no  design  of  setting  up  a  new  one,  or  of  pulling  down 
your  churches,  or  drawing  members  from  them  in  order; 
to  build  our  own.”  * 

And  we  find  this  policy  adhered  to  in  the  case  of  the 
brethren  in  Nicomedia.  The  bishop,  priests,  and  the 
leading  men  of  that  city  formed  a  council,  and  this  coun¬ 
cil  drew  up  a  new  confession  of  faith.  “  Thus  all  who 
were  suspected  of  Protestantism  were  asked  to  acknowl¬ 
edge  by  affixing  thereunto  their  signatures.  Those  who 
would  refuse  to  do  so  were  to  be  anathematized  and  ex¬ 
pelled  from  the  church.  As  soon  as  Rev.  Dwight  and 
Dr.  Goodell  were  informed  of  the  council’s  proceedings 
they  advised  the  brethren  not  to  separate  themselves 
from  the  Armenian  communion,  saying  that,  if  they  did 
so,  the  work  would  not  advance  so  rapidly.”  | 

*  “  Forty  Years  in  the  Turkish  Empire,”  pages  173,  4. 

f  “  History  of  the  Beginnings  of  Missionary  Work  in  Nicomedia,” 
pages  20,  21.  By  Rev.  G.  Nergararian. 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


1 66 

In  1843  a  young  Armenian  embraced  Mohammedan¬ 
ism.  But  he  became  a  prey  to  remorse  of  conscience 
for  his  apostasy.  He  therefore  renounced  Mohammed¬ 
anism  and  reconfessed  Christianity.  He  was  seized 
upon  and  beheaded  in  the  streets  of  Constantinople  by 
the  Turkish  authorities,  and  his  corpse  was  exposed  to 
the  public  gaze  for  several  days,  as  an  insult  to  Chris¬ 
tianity.  This  event  aroused  the  indignation  of  the  Eu¬ 
ropean  ambassadors,  who,  through  the  English  ambas¬ 
sador,  Sir  Stratford  Canning,  demanded  and  extorted 
from  the  sultan  the  following  written  pledge :  “  The 
Sublime  Porte  engages  to  take  effectual  measures  to  pre¬ 
vent  henceforward  the  execution  and  putting  to  death  of 
the  Christian  who  is  an  apostate.” 

The  imprudent  conduct  of  the  patriarch,  Bishop  Mat- 
teos,  by  his  anathemas  and  excommunicating  those  who 
were  disposed  and  endeavoring  to  reform  the  Church, 
exposed  them  to  all  manner  of  maltreatment.  They 
“were  stoned  in  the  streets,  unjustly  imprisoned,  ejected 
from  their  shops,  invaded  and  plundered  in  their  houses, 
bastinadoed  and  abandoned  by  their  friends.”  These 
persecutions  were  severe  and  extended  into  those  places 
wherever  there  were  some  who  loved  the  cause  of  ref¬ 
ormation.  The  unwise  course  of  the  patriarch  to  pre¬ 
vent  separation  by  persecution,  indeed,  did  hasten  the 
dreaded  division  in  the  church.  Vartabed  M.  Muradi- 
an’s  own  statement  in  regard  to  Bishop  Matteos’  con¬ 
duct  is  as  follows  : — 

“  Patriarch  Matteos  had  already  begun  religious  con¬ 
troversies  with  the  Protestant  missionaries,  and  these 
same  controversies  were  travails  of  a  new  eruption. 


THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  CHURCH. 


167 


Those  inclined  to  Protestantism  were  about  to  appear 
and  the  anathematizing  course  taken  by  Matteos  very 
materially  aided  the  purpose  of  the  Protestant  mission¬ 
aries,  because  to  persecute  is  to  spread.  And,  behold, 
thus  on  the  one  hand  the  intervention  of  the  mission¬ 
aries,  on  the  other  hand  the  inconsiderateness  of  those 
inclined  to  Protestantism  and  the  imprudent  conduct  of 
Patriarch  Matteos  cause  a  number  from  our  brethren  to 
depart  from  the  maternal  bosom  of  the  church  and  ad¬ 
hering  to  Protestantism  it  forms  a  distinct  body,  choos¬ 
ing  for  itself  a  separate  civil  head.”  * 

The  patriarch’s  persecuting  and  excommunicating 
those  who  adhered  to  the  evangelical  work  were  con¬ 
sidered  sufficient  reasons  to  organize  a  separate  church. 

There  was  not,  however,  a  unanimity  among  the 
brethren  on  this  subject,  and  “  the  most  honored  and  in¬ 
fluential  of  the  older  brethren  placed  themselves  in  the 
bosom  of  the  nation.”  The  missionaries,  thus  chang¬ 
ing  their  policy  and  yielding  to  the  desire  of  those 
who  wished  to  form  a  separate  organization,  gathered 
them  together,  forty  in  number,  and  constituted,  on  the 
1st  of  July,  1846,  as  the  first  Evangelical  Armenian 
Church  of  Constantinople,  f  Mr.  Apisoghom  Kacha- 

*  “History  of  the  Holy  Apostolic  Church  of  Armenia,”  pages 
607,  8.  (This  book  is  written  in  the  Armenian.) 

This  same  author,  speaking  of  the  literary  merits  of  Matteos, 
has  the  following  criticism  :  “  In  the  writings  of  Matteos  there  are 
very  may  contradictions,  which  are  the  signs  of  lack  of  profundity, 
and  especially  willing  also  to  defend  the  Armenian  Church  against 
Protestantism,  in  certain  places  he  has  completely  precipitated 
into  Roman  Catholicism.”  Pages  616,  7. 

f  Rev.  Dr.  Goodell  wrote  in  regard  to  this  event :  “  When  I  re¬ 
moved  to  Constantinople  fifteen  years  ago  I  felt  assured  either 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


1 68 

durian  was  ordained,  and  installed  the  pastor  of  this  new 
church  by  the  missionaries  on  the  following  Sabbath. 

On  the  20th  of  July,  1846,  another  church  was  formed 
at  Nicomedia,  and  during  that  summer  two  more 
churches  were  organized,  one  at  Ada-Pazar  and  the 
other  at  Trebizond.  And  these  organizations  were  fol¬ 
lowed  by  others  at  different  parts  of  the  country. 

The  Protestant  Armenian  community  thus  organized 
into  separate  churches  was  yet  under  the  jurisdiction  of 
the  patriarch,  and  not  quite  free  from  molestation  and 
privation  up  to  1847.  “  the  temporary  absence  of  Sir 

Stratford  Canning,  Lord  Cowley  negotiated  the  matter 
with  the  government,  and  on  the  15th  of  November, 
1847,  the  grand  vizier  issued  a  firman,  declaring  that  the 
‘  Christian  subjects  of  the  Ottoman  Government  profes¬ 
sing  Protestantism  would  constitute  a  separate  commu¬ 
nity,  with  all  the  rights  and  privileges  belonging  to 
others,  and  that  ‘  no  interference  whatever  be  permitted 
in  their  temporal  or  spiritual  concerns  on  the  part  of  the 
patriarch,  monks,  or  priests  of  other  sects.’  ”  Three 
years  later  the  Sultan,  Abdul  Medjid,  granted  to  the 
Protestants  a  charter,  “  completing  and  confirming  their 
distinct  organization  as  a  civil  community,  and  securing 
to  them  equal  religious  rights  with  the  older  Christian 
organizations.” 

Up  to  this  time  (1850)  the  work  of  reformation  spread 
and  progressed  with  wonderful  rapidity,  though  through 

that  this  day  (of  new  organization)  would  come,  or  that  the  Ar¬ 
menian  Church  as  a  body  would  be  reformed.”  It  is  the  convic¬ 
tion  of  many  Protestant  Armenians  that  the  Armenian  Church 
would  have  been  reformed  by  this  time  or  sooner  than  it  ever  will 
be  had  this  separate  organization  not  taken  place  at  all. 


THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  CHURCH. 


169 


persecutions  and  privations.  The  readiness  of  those 
who  knew  the  truth  to  spread  it ;  the  eagerness  of  the 
people  to  receive  the  truth ;  the  unconsciously  em¬ 
ployed  means  of  those  who  tried  to  stop  this  move¬ 
ment,  and  by  so  doing  their  spreading  it,  are  well 
condensed  in  the  following  language  of  Rev.  S.  C.  Bart¬ 
lett,  D.  D. : — 

“  When  the  patriarch  had  hurried  Bedros,  the  Varta- 
bed,  out  of  the  city  for  his  Protestant  tendencies,  and 
Vartabed  had  gone  distributing  books  and  preaching 
throughout  the  whole  region  of  Aleppo  and  Aintab. 
When  he  had  sent  priest  Vartanes  a  prisoner  to  the 
monastery  of  Marash,  and  then  banished  him  to  Caesarea, 
Vartaves  had  first  awakened  the  monks,  and  then 
preached  the  gospel  all  the  way  to  Caesarea. 

“The  missionaries  wisely  availed  themselves  of  this 
rising  interest  in  tours  for  preaching,  conversing,  and 
distributing  religious  treatises.  Messrs.  Powers,  John¬ 
son,  Van  Lennep,  Smith,  Peabody,  Schneider,  Goodell, 
Everett,  Benjamin,  pushed  forth  to  Aintab,  Aleppo, 
Broussa,  Harpoot,  Sivas,  Diarbekir,  Caesarea,  and  various 
other  places  through  the  empire. 

“  They  soon  found  that  they  were  in  the  midst  of  one 
of  the  most  extraordinary  religious  movements  of  modern 
times,  silent,  and  sometimes  untraceable,  but  potent  and 
pervasive.  In  every  important  town  of  the  empire 
where  there  were  Armenians,  there  were  found  to  be,  as 
early  as  1849,  one  or  more  ‘lovers  of  evangelical  truth.’ 
But  it  was  no  causeless  movement.  The  quiet  working 
of  the  ‘  little  leaven  ’  was  traceable  almost  from  its  source 
by  indubitable  signs.  It  was  a  notable  sight  to  see 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


170 

when,  in  1838,  the  Vartabed  and  the  leading  men  of 
Orta  Keuy,  on  the  Bosphorus,  where  the  missionaries 
first  gained  access  to  the  Armenians,  went  and  removed 
the  pictures  from  the  village  church.  It  was  a  notable 
thing  to  hear  when,  in  1841,  the  Armenian  preachers 
of  Constantinople  were  discoursing  on  repentance  and 
the  mediatorial  office  of  Christ.  It  was  another  land¬ 
mark  when,  in  1842,  the  fervor  of  the  converts  not 
only  filled  the  city  with  rumors  of  the  new  doctrines, 
but,  after  a  season  of  special  prayer,  held  in  a  neighbor¬ 
ing  valley,  sent  forth  priest  Vartanes  on  a  missionary 
tour  into  the  heart  of  Asia  Minor.  A  still  more  signifi¬ 
cant  fact  was  when,  in  that  year  and  the  next,  the  Ar¬ 
menian  women  were  effectually  reached  and  roused,  till 
family  worship  began  in  many  a  household,  and  a  female 
seminary  at  Pera  became  (in  1845)  a  necessity.  The 
brethren  had  observed  the  constant  increase  of  the  in¬ 
quirers,  often  from  a  distance,  and  they  had  found,  even 
in  1843,  such  a  demand  for  their  books  as  the  press  at 
Smyrna  was  unable  fully  to  supply.  In  many  places, 
and  at  Nicomedia,  Adabazar,  and  Aintab,  books  and 
tracts  began  the  work. 

“  The  preaching  services  at  Constantinople  would  be 
occasionally  attended  by  individuals  from  four  or  five 
other  towns.  At  Erzroom  one  Sabbath  (Februar}q 
1846)  there  were  attendants  from  six  different  places. 
The  seminary  for  young  men  at  Bebek  (a  suburb  of 
Constantinople)  drew  visitors  from  great  distances  and 
from  all  quarters,  as  far  as  Alexandria,  St.  Petersburg, 
and  the  Euphrates.  The  native  brethren  also  had  been 
engaged  in  disseminating  the  truth,  and  the  first  awaken- 


THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  CHURCH.  1 7 1 

ings  at  Killis,  Kessab,  and  Rodosto,  for  example,  were 
due  to  their  labors. 

“  From  this  time  forth  the  enterprise  became  too 
broad  even  to  trace  in  this  rapid  way.  If  the  whole 
movement  shall  ever  be  suitably  recorded  the  history  of 
this  reformation  will  be  second  in  interest  to  no  other 
that  has  ever  been  written.  There  are  scores  and  scores 
of  villages  each  of  which  would  furnish  material  for  a 
volume,  and  multitudes  of  cases  that  recall  the  fervor, 
faith,  and  fortitude  of  apostolic  times.”  * 

The  history  of  this  wonderful  reformation  will  not  be 
expected  here  to  be  given  fully,  nor  the  history  of  any 
particular  place  or  person,  unlss  it  will  serve  to  explain 
a  general  fact.  But  all,  that  we  will  be  able  to  do,  is  to 
give  a  brief  and  cursory  sketch  of  it. 

Although  a  decree  issued  in  November,  1850,  pro¬ 
claimed  the  Protestants  equal  in  the  eye  of  the  law,  and 
accorded  to  them  protection  from  persecutions,  yet  the 
condition  of  the  brethren  was  very  miserable.  Many  of 
the  younger  brethren  were  disinherited  by  their  parents 
for  their  espousal  of  the  cause  of  the  reformation,  and 
thrown  out  of  employment  by  their  employers.  The 
anathemas  of  the  patriarch  upon  “  the  heretics  ”  and 
those  who  would  have  any  dealing  with  them,  shut  out 
the  Protestants  from  the  society  of,  and  the  business 
intercourse  with,  the  people.  Many,  therefore,  had  to 
sell  and  sacrifice  their  properties  for  the  necessities  of 
life,  and  fell  into  an  abject  poverty,  and  had  reached  the 
verge  of  starvation.  The  ambitious  policy  of  Russia 

*  c‘  Historical  Sketch  of  the  Missions  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  in 
Turkey,”  pages  10-12,  and  14. 


IJ2 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


forced  Turkey  to  declare  war  against  her  in  1853.  Thus 
the  Crimean  war  also  greatly  added  to  the  misery  of  the 
brethren  and  threatened  the  existence  of  the  little  flock. 
But  the  ingenuity  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Cyrus  Hamlin,  the 
noble  missionary,  devised  certain  means  to  ameliorate 
the  condition  of  the  Protestants,  established  industries, 
especially  the  mill  and  bakery,  where  he  found  sufficient 
work  for  them  to  do ;  he  also  was  able  to  build  a  few 
churches  in  which  these  brethren  might  worship.  These 
churches  were  greatly  needed,  and  he  had  left  some 
balance  in  hand  after  building  them.* 

“  The  Crimean  war  was  overruled  for  the  furtherance 
of  the  gospel  by  becoming  the  occasion,  if  not  the 
actual  means,  for  securing  another  important  concession 
from  the  Turkish  government  on  the  subject  of  religious 
liberty,  a  new  Magna  Charta  for  the  Christian  subjects 
of  the  Porte.  This  is  known  as  the  Hatti  Sherif  (Sacred 
Edict),  or  Hatti  Humayoun  (Imperial  Edict),  of  1856, 
and  was  issued  on  the  authority  of  the  Sultan  himself.”f 
Some  regarded  this  edict  as  a  complete  grant  of  freedom 
to  all,  Christians  or  Mohammedans,  to  follow  the  dictates 
of  their  consciences  without  any  molestation  whatever. 
A  few  high-sounding  sentences  from  it  will  show  what 
great  contentment  it  would  have  given  to  the  subjects  of 
the  Porte  if  it  had  been  fulfilled : — 

“  Every  distinction  or  designation  tending  to  make 

*  “  It  had  been  no  object  of  mine  to  have  any  balance  in  hand. 
It  amounted,  with  what  had  already  been  expended  for  churches 
mentioned,  to  $25,000.”  —  Hamlin.  “Among  the  Turks,”  page 
258. 

f  See  Appendix. 


THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  CHURCH.  1 73 

any  class  whatever  of  the  subjects  of  my  empire  inferior 
to  another  class  on  account  of  their  religion,  language, 
or  race,  shall  be  forever  effaced  from  the  administrative 
protocol. 

“  As  all  forms  of  religion  are  and  shall  be  freely  pro¬ 
fessed  in  my  dominions,  no  subject  of  my  empire  shall 
be  hindered  in  the  exercise  of  the  religion  that  he  pro¬ 
fesses,  nor  shall  be  in  any  way  annoyed  on  this  account.” 

It  is,  however,  nothing  uncommon  with  the  sultans 
and  other  officials  of  the  Turkish  Government  to 
promise  a  good  deal,  but  not  to  fulfill  the  least.  “  By 
the  terms  of  the  treaty  of  1856  (signed  at  Paris),  Turkey 
was  bound  in  the  face  of  the  world  to  redress  the 
inveterate  evils  and  abuses  of  her  government,  and  to 
extend  to  all  her  subjects  the  blessings  of  civil  and 
religious  freedom.  There  was  accordingly  promulgated 
the  Hatt-y-Humayoun  of  1856,  in  which  the  principles 
of  reform  embodied  in  the  Tanzimat  were  renewed  and 
extended;  but  that  edict,  like  those  which  preceded  it, 
remained  in  effect  null  and  void.  The  grievances  and 
wrongs  endured  since  that  time,  especially  by  the 
Christian  population,  the  perversion  of  justice,  the  gross 
administrative  corruption,  furnish  a  sufficient  comment¬ 
ary  of  the  futility  of  the  attempted  or  promised  reforms 
of  the  Porte.”* 

In  spite  of  all  the  hinderances,  the  grievances,  and 
wrongs  endured  by  the  Christian  population,  and  the 
perversion  of  justice  and  gross  administrative  corruption 
of  the  Turkish  Government,  the  number  of  the  reformed 
churches  within  ten  years  (1846-1856)  increased  to 


*“The  Turkish  Empire,”  pages  223,  224. 


1/  4 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


thirty,  organized  at  different  places  in  the  empire. 
And  it  was  only  twenty-one  years  after  the  birth  of  the 
first  Reformed  Armenian  Church,  in  the  travail  of  per¬ 
secution,  that  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  H.  J.  Van  Lennep  re¬ 
ported,  before  the  .Evangelical  Alliance  at  Amsterdam, 
Holland,  that  “  there  are  now  (1867)  fifty-six  churches, 
with  two  thousand  communicants  and  a  community  of 
twenty  thousand  adherents.”  And  he  adds  : — 

“  The  use  of  such  means  (for  reformation)  soon  pro¬ 
duced  a  marked  effect,  not  so  much  upon  the  volatile 
Greek  as  upon  the  sober-minded  Armenian ;  and  evan¬ 
gelical  doctrines  were  soon  spreading  among  the  latter 
with  amazing  power  and  rapidity.  Providence  raised 
from  among  the  people  men  of  eloquence,  power,  and 
influence,  whose  labors  were  wonderfully  blessed ;  and 
great  numbers  soon  rejoiced  in  the  precious  doctrine, 

‘  Christ  crucified.’  The  young  converts,  full  of  faith 
and  the  Holy  Ghost,  went  about  lighting  the  torch  of 
truth  and  salvation  throughout  the  land.” 

And  now  we  have  one  hundred  and  ten  churches  and 
eleven  thousand  and  ninety-five  members,  seventy-four 
native  ordained  ministers  and  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
nine  preachers,  and  eighty-five  other  helpers,  two  hun¬ 
dred  and  three  places  for  stated  preaching,  thirty-one 
thousand  six  hundred  and  eighteen  average  attendants 
to  the  services,  twenty-one  thousand  six  hundred  and 
fifty-five  Sabbath-school  scholars,  and  a  community  of 
forty-five  thousand  and  eight  Protestants,  who  have  con¬ 
tributed  $48,941  for  all  purposes  during  the  last  year 
(1890-1891).  * 


*  See  Annual  Report  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M. 


THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  CHURCH.  175 

The  great  progress  of  this  reformation  may  well  be 
ascribed  to  a  few  causes  or  agencies.  The  first  is  the 
Bible.  The  reader  will  remember  we  said  in  the  pre¬ 
vious  chapter  that  the  Armenian  Church  not  only  en¬ 
courages,  but  almost  enforces,  the  people  to  read  the 
Scriptures,  that  the  Armenians  revere  the  Word  of  God. 
When  the  missionaries  came  into  our  country  thev 
found  a  common  ground  on  the  “  Thus  saith  the  Lord  ” 
to  deal  with  the  people  and  the  clergy.  The  absolute 
necessity  of  the  Bible  as  the  only  standard  was  felt  by 
the  missionaries,  and  the  ablest  intellects  have  been  en¬ 
gaged  in  its  translation  into  the  vernacular  dialects  or 
the  languages  of  the  country.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Goodell 
wrote  on  this  subject  nearly  fifty  years  ago  as  follows  : _ 

“  Turn  now  to  our  labor  among  the  Armenians,  Our 
whole  work  with  them  is  emphatically  a  Bible  work. 
The  Bible  is  our  only  standard,  and  the  Bible  is  our 
final  appeal.  And  it  is  even  more  necessary  for  us  than 
it  was  for  the  reformers  in  England,  because  we  are 
foreigners.  Without  it  we  could  say  one  thing  and  the 
priests  and  bishops  could  say  another;  but  where  would 
be  the  umpire?  It  would  be  nowhere,  and  all  our 
efforts  would  be  like  ‘  beating  the  air.’  ”  * 

The  British  and  American  Bible  Societies  greatly 
aided  the  publication  and  circulation  of  the  Scriptures 
through  their  agents  in  co-operation  with  the  mission¬ 
aries  among  the  people,  and  in  many  a  family,  town, 
and  city  the  Bible  itself  was  the  mightiest  means  of  the 
conversion  of  many.  “  The  entrance  of  Thy  words 


*  Memoirs  of  Rev.  William  Goodell,  D.  D.,  page  282. 


iy6  THE  ARMENIANS. 

giveth  light.”  “  The  law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect,  con¬ 
verting  the  soul.” 

The  writer’s  father  was  engaged  in  some  business  in 
Constantinople  nearly  thirty  years  ago,  and  when  he 
returned  home  he  brought  with  him  a  copy  of  the  New 
Testament,  which  he  bought  from  the  missionaries. 
This  copy  of  the  New  Testament  he  and  his  sons  began 
to  read,  and  the  simple  reading  of  the  Word  of  God 
resulted  in  the  conversion  of  the  writer  and  the  several 
members  of  the  family.  In  every  village,  town,  and  city 
hundreds  and  thousands  thus  have  been  converted  and 
“  become  Protestants  in  principle,  and  they  far  exceed  in 
number  the  registered  Protestants.” 

It  was  the  privilege  of  the  writer,  after  his  conversion 
and  studying  a  few  years  in  the  mission  school  at  Mar- 
sovan,  to  spend  some  time  in  teaching  in  a  small  town. 
The  Protestant  people,  whose  children  he  had  to  teach, 
had  no  preacher  and  urged  him  to  preach  for  them. 
Not  ability  or  aptness,  but  necessity,  compelled  him  to 
engage  in  this  double  duty.  One  day  he  was  asked  by 
a  man  who  belonged  to  the  Armenian  Church  and 
whose  brother  (deceased  then)  was  one  of  the  first  con¬ 
verts  to  Protestantism,  whether  he  knew  how  Protest¬ 
antism  began  there.  His  reply  was  “  No  ;  ”  and  what 
the  man  told  him  is  somewhat  as  follows  : — 

The  first  Protestant  brother  that  entered  the  town 
went  to  a  coffee-house,*  and  he  took  out  his  Bible  and 

*  The  coffee-houses  in  the  East  are  very  much  like  the  saloons 
in  this  country.  But  they  do  not  sell  intoxicating  drinks  in  these 
coffee-houses.  People  go  there  to  smoke  and  sip  coffee  in  small 
cups  and  while  the  time  away. 


THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  -CHURCH.  1 77 

attempted  to  read  it  to  the  men  there,  but  they  refused 
to  listen  to  him.  He  was  so  grieved  that  he  burst  into 
tears.  This  attracted  the  attention  of  an  elderly  man, 
well  known  in  the  town  as  “  Uncle  Toros,”  who  came  to 
him  at  once  and  asked  him  what  ailed  him.  He  replied 
that  he  would  like  to  read  the  Bible  and  speak  to  them 
about  the  wonderful  love  of  God,  but  they  objected  to 
his  so  doing.  Uncle  Toros  was  a  very  hospitable  man ;  on 
learning  that  this  man  was  entirely  a  stranger  in  the  town 
he  invited  him  to  his  house.  The  custom  of  the  Orientals 
is  that  everybody  that  is  able  has  a  guest-chamber,  like 
the  Shunamite  woman  for  the  prophet  of  the  Lord. 

Uncle  Toros  was  also  a  very  influential  man  in  the 
town,  and  he  had  many  friends  and  relatives,  who,  with 
the  neighbors,  used  to  come  to  his  sitting-room  and 
spend  the  early  part  of  every  night. 

Thus  our  brother  had  a  very  good  audience  every 
evening  to  whom  he  could  read  and  expound  the  Bible. 
If  some  did  not  like  to  listen  to  him,  they  could  leave 
the  room  and  go,  for  they  could  not  oppose  or  insult 
him — he  was  Uncle  Toros’  guest.  This  was  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  the  work  there,  and  when  the  writer  was  there, 
nearly  fifteen  years  later,  he  found  about  twenty  families 
composing  the  Protestant  community. 

Thus  the  “  two-edged  sword  ”  of  the  Spirit,  “  the  Word 
of  God  ”  on  the  one  hand,  “  the  young  converts,  full  of 
faith  and  the  Holy  Ghost,”  are  still  going  about  “  lighting 
the  torch  of  truth  and  salvation  throughout  the  land,” 
on  the  other  hand,  have  wrought  this  marvelous  reforma¬ 
tion  which  is  still  progressing  rapidly,  although  meeting 
numerous  difficulties. 


178 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


Some  of  the  hinderances  have  been  occasionally  men¬ 
tioned  in  the  previous  pages,  but  the  greatest  source  of 
all  evils  is  due  to  the  despotic  oppressions  and  persecu¬ 
tions  of  the  Turkish  Government,  under  the  garb  of 
suppressing  the  revolutionary  tendency  of  the  Christians. 
The  reports  of  the  missionaries  from  various  stations 
inform  us  of  this  unbearable  tyranny  : — 

“Bitlis. — The  political  situation  in  this  station  has 
gone  from  bad  to  worse,  and  the  Christian  part  of  the 
population  has  suffered  from  the  want  of  protection  and 
from  open  violence  beyond  all  precedent.  The  unusual 
number  of  deaths  in  one  of  the  healthy  out-stations  was 
caused  by  the  want  of  proper  food  and  clothing,  resulting 
from  the  excessive  taxes.  It  is  not  a  little  praiseworthy 
that  under  such  conditions  the  native  brethren  prove 
steadfast  in  faith  and  cheerful  in  Christian  service. 
Speaking  of  governmental  interference,  Mr.  Knapp 
says :  1  We  have  been  annoyed  by  officials,  who  have 
detained  our  books,  school  and  religious,  at  the  custom¬ 
houses  at  Trebizond  and  Erzroom.  These  boxes  have 
been  detained  several  months  at  the  latter  place,  and  are 
there  still,  although  they  have  the  government  seal  that 
was  attached  to  the  books  at  Constantinople.’  ” 

“  Erzroom. — This  station  has  suffered  more  than  any 
other  in  the  mission  for  want  of  an  adequate  force  of 
missionaries  and  from  political  disturbances.”* 

In  vain  has  the  writer  attempted  to  avoid  narrating 
the  following  instance,  which  furnishes  three  phases  in 
one,  to  wit :  The  mighty  power  of  the  Word  of  God,  the 
heroism  of  those  who  believe  in  God,  and  the  violation 


*  See  Annual  Report  of  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.,  1891. 


BIRD’S-EYE  VIEW  OE  BITLIS. 


i8o 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


of  all  promises  of  religious  freedom,  the  marked  cruelty 
and  perversion  of  justice  of  the  Turkish  officials. 

Avedis  (good  news)  Zotian  was  a  boy  of  ten  or  twelve 
years  of  age  when  the  writer  was  acquainted  with  him, 
over  sixteen  years  ago.  He  was  a  quiet,  unassuming, 
skillful,  and  industrious  boy,  and  engaged  in  his  father’s 
trade,  copper-smithing.  Through  his  cousin,  who  was 
a  constant  reader  of  the  Bible  and  a  warm  friend  of  the 
reformation,  Avedis  was  brought  under  the  same  influ¬ 
ence  of  the  Word  of  God.  He  finally,  about  seven  years 
ago,  avowed  himself  a  Protestant  and  joined  that  com¬ 
munity.  He  became  very  active,  and,  like  the  prophet 
Jeremiah,  felt  that  “  His  word  was  in”  his  “heart  as  a 
burning  fire.”  He  was  often  found  to  be  engaged  in 
some  discussion  on  religious  topics.  Avedis  thought 
one  day,  about  three  years  ago,  while  he  had  a  long 
distance  to  go  to  the  service  and  would  not  be  able  to 
stop  on  the  way  and  speak  to  others  on  the  topic  of 
religion,  to  have  a  verse  on  a  piece  of  board,  to  carry  it 
along  and  the  people  will  see  and  read  it.  The  following 
words  from  the  Scriptures,  “  Repent  ye,  for  the  kingdom 
of  heaven  is  at  hand,”  were  written  in  the  Armenian, 
and  Avedis  had  his  friend  Sahag,  another  Armenian  Prot¬ 
estant,  to  write  the  same  verse  in  the  Turkish  language. 
Avedis  started  to  church  with  the  above  text.  He  was 
arrested  on  his  way  by  the  Turkish  officers  and  thrown 
into  a  dungeon.  His  friend  Sahag  was  also  arrested  for 
his  writing  the  verse  in  the  Turkish,  and  shared  a  corner 
of  the  prison  with  Avedis.  The  charge  that  was  brought 
against  these  young  men  was  that  they  were  political 
agitators. 


THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  CHURCH.  1 8  I 

After  several  months’  imprisonment  the  verdict  of  the 
unjust  jury  was  “Guilty,”  and  the  unrighteous  judge 
uttered  the  sentence  of  exile  for  life.  They  with  tearful 
eyes  bade  adieu  to  their  newly-married  wives,  who  in 
vain  had  tried  to  wipe  away  the  overflowing  tears,  to 
their  aged  parents,  brothers,  sisters,  relatives,  and  friends. 
They  were  driven  like  cattle  by  the  mounted  officers  to 
Smyrna,  then  to  Africa.  They  were  so  exhausted  and 
ill-treated  on  their  way  that  only  a  few  months  later  it 
was  heard  that  Avedis  was  taken  away  by  his  Heavenly 
Father  to  rest  from  his  labors.  And  what  became  of 
Sahag  nobody  knows. 

In  the  name  of  humanity,  in  the  name  of  Christianity, 
in  the  name  of  the  Founder  of  Christianity,  the  reader  is 
requested  to  pray  and  do  whatever  is  in  his  power  to 
hasten  the  freedom  of  this  down-trodden  nation  from 
the  tyranny  of  “the  unspeakable  Turk.” 

One  of  the  difficulties  will  be  very  easily  understood 
when  it  is  remembered  the  fact  that  the  Protestant 
Armenians  were  driven  out  from  their  national  church 
and  community,  that  they  were  encouraged  and  organ¬ 
ized  into  a  distinct  church  and  body  from  their  nation  ; 
consequently  they  had  to  have  separate  church  build¬ 
ings,  cemeteries,  and  school-houses,  &c  Forty  years 
ago,  when  only  ten  or  fifteen  such  places  were  needed,  it 
was  not  very  difficult  for  the  American  Board  to  meet 
these  needs  of  the  brethren,  while  they  were  absolutely 
unable  to  do  anything  for  themselves  on  account  of  the 
persecutions,  compulsive  idleness,  and  the  consequent 
poverty  resulting  from  these. 

Although  the  Protestant  community  vastly  increased 


182 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


within  this  period,  but  not  in  wealth,  owing  to  the  gov¬ 
ernmental  oppressions,  excessive  taxes,  all  manner  of 
injustice,  and  to  the  want  of  protection  and  even  open 
violence.  So  the  four-fifths  of  the  Protestant  Armenian 
churches  are  still  more  or  less  dependent  on  the  mission 
fund.  The  one-third  of  the  income  of  the  Board  goes 
to  this  mission,  but  even  that  is  far  from  being  sufficient 
to  cover  the  necessary  expenses  of  this  stupendous 
work. 

Indeed,  there  are  only  a  very  few  church  buildings 
owned  by  the  Protestant  Armenians  worthy  to  be  called 
churches,  but  the  most  of  the  meeting-houses  (so  they 
are  called)  are  devoid  of  any  comfort ;  somp  of  them 
without  organs  or  seats ;  some  without  furniture  or 
chairs;  and  some  even  without  any  floors.  No  one  who 
has  seen  some  of  the  country  school-houses  in  this  coun¬ 
try  and  our  so-called  meeting-houses  in  Asia  Minor  and 
Armenia  would  dare  to  compare  the  latter  with  the  for¬ 
mer  with  any  fairness. 

This  is  not  a  little  disadvantage  to  the  advance  of  the 
cause.  But  it  is  not  the  worst.  Suppose  a  congrega¬ 
tion  is  huddled  in  such  an  uncomfortable  place  for  wor¬ 
ship,  and  anxiously  waiting  for  their  preacher  on  a  Sab¬ 
bath  morning.  But  the  preacher  had  received  word 
from  the  missionary,  by  whom  he  is  employed,  in  the 
middle  of  the  past  week,  that  the  Board  was  unable  to 
appropriate  sufficient  means  to  employ  the  same  number 
of  preachers,  and  that  he  was  also  the  one  of  those  who 
are  dismissed,  and  therefore  he  is  gone  to  another  place 
to  find  something  else  to  make. a  living.  Undoubtedly, 
this  disappointment  is  worse  than  the  discomfort  of  the 


THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  CHURCH.  1 83 

place  of  worship,  but,  unfortunately  for  many  congrega¬ 
tions  and  preachers,  this  is  their  condition.  The  follow¬ 
ing  from  the  report  of  the  “  Committee  on  Missions  in 
Turkey”  is  to  the  point  to  show  both  the  importance 
and  the  distressed  condition  of  this  mission  : — 

“The  mission  in  Turkey  is  the  most  important  mis¬ 
sion  of  the  Board.  Divided  into  four  parts,  European,* 
Western,  Central,  Eastern,  each  part  is  sufficiently  small 
to  secure  careful  supervision  and  control ;  it  enrolls  one- 
third  of  the  working  force;  it  numbers  one-third  of  all 
adherents,  scholars  and  communicants.  No  mission  is 
more  complete  in  organization,  more  comprehensive  in 
agency,  more  wise  in  method.  It  includes  the  church 
and  evangelistic  effort;  it  includes  educational  institu¬ 
tions  from  the  kindergarten  to  the  professional  school ; 
it  includes  a  vast  work  of  translation  and  of  publication. 
It  gathers  up  and  projects  all  worthiest  forces  for  the 
fostering  of  a  Christian  civilization. 

“  These  forces  have  been  reduced  through  the  reduc¬ 
tion  of  income.  From  certain  parts  of  the  mission  is 
made  the  call  for  men ;  from  all  parts  is  made  the  call 
for  money.  The  people  are  in  distressing  poverty,  yet 
the  distressing  poverty  is  excelled  by  the  self-sacrificing 
generosity ;  but  offerings  of  ten  dollars  from  each  mem¬ 
ber  are  far  from  sufficient.  Lack  of  money  forbids  the 
employment  of  the  various  agencies  which  each  station 
should  use.  Lack  of  money  prevents  the  employment 
of  native  preachers;  the  failure  to  employ  native  preachers 

*  European  Turkey  Mission,  which  is  among  the  Bulgarians,  con¬ 
sists  of  twelve  churches  and  eight  hundred  and  twenty-seven 
members. 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


184 

causes  the  men  to  seek  other  services  than  preach¬ 
ing,  and  also  promotes  the  disintegration  of  churches. 
Lack  of  money  has  become  so  urgent  that  missionaries 
have  tendered  their  resignations  because  of  the  inability 
to  retain  these  native  preachers  and  helpers.”* 

Next  in  importance  to  the  Bible  and  the  activity  of  the 
natives  in  spreading  it,  the  superiority  of  the  educational 
institutions  of  the  mission  and  the  love  of  truth  in  the 
native  youth  will  claim  our  attention  as  potent  factors  in 
the  progress  of  this  reformation. 

Since  the  entrance  of  the  Turks  into  Western  Asia  the 
ancient  centres  of  learning  have  been  lying  in  ruins  ;  the 
numerous  lights  upon  their  altars  for  centuries  burning 
were  extinguished  on  account  of  the  photophobic  malady 
of  Mohammedanism  and  its  fanatic  devotees.  These 
“  wild  beasts  of  mankind  ”  had  “  broken  in  upon  these 
countries,  once  so  glorious  and  famous  for  their  happy 
estate  ”  of  civilization  and  culture,  which  had  given  re¬ 
ligion  and  laws  to  the  world,  but  now,  through  ignor¬ 
ance,  superstition,  and  vice  had  become  “  the  most  de¬ 
plorable  spectacles  of  extreme  misery.”  The  barbarous 
tyrants — the  sultans  of  the  Ottoman  Empire — who  glor¬ 
ified  in  cruelty  and  aimed  “  only  at  the  height  of  great¬ 
ness  and  sensuality,”  had  “  reduced  so  great  and  goodly 
a  part  of  the  world  to  that  lamentable  distress  and  servi¬ 
tude  under  which  it  now  faints  and  groans.”  “  The  true 
religion  ”  is  still  “  discountenanced  and  oppressed  ;  no 
light  of  learning  permitted,  nor  virtue  cherished  ;  violence 
and  rapine  exulting  over  all  and  leaving  no  security, 


*  “Annual  Report  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.,”  page  14. 


THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  CHURCH.  1 85 

save  to  an  abject  mind  and  unlooked-on  poverty.”  This 
language  of  an  eye-witness,  uttered  two  centuries  and  a 
half  ago,  was  found  literally  true  when  the  missionaries 
came  into  the  East.  And  they  found  also  in  this  un¬ 
happy  empire  “a  noble  race” — the  Armenians — who 
have  been  called  “  the  Anglo-Saxons  of  the  East,”  whose 
“  standard  of  moral  purity  is  also  said  to  be  immeasura¬ 
bly  above  that  of  the  Turks  around  them,  and  they  have 
a  conscience  which  can  be  touched  and  roused.” 

As  it  has  been  said  before,  the  Armenians  had  wel¬ 
comed  the  missionaries,  and  had  they  been  left  alone  they 
would  not  have  attempted  to  prevent  the  reformation  at 
all.  “  When  the  missionaries  came  to  Turkey  they  were 
kindly  received  by  the  patriarch  and  clergymen,  who 
showed  great  hospitality  and  favor  to  them,  and  encour¬ 
aged  them  to  build  up  schools,  which  they  promised  to 
support  by  sending  to  these  their  young  men  and  priests 
to  be  educated.  But  afterwards  the  Jesuits,  who  are 
ever  the  uncompromising  enemies  of  Protestantism,  se¬ 
cretly  stirred  up  the  Armenian  and  Greek  leaders  against 
the  missionaries  and  their  work,  whom,  they  now  began 
to  regard  with  suspicion  and  envy.  Even  among  the 
Armenian  priests  and  college-men  were  those  who, 
though  they  at  first  persecuted  the  Protestants,  became 
not  only  their  staunchest  friends,  but  also  earnest  work¬ 
ers  for  the  cause  of  Christ.” 

The  following  statement  of  an  American  writer  con¬ 
firms  the  above  quotation  from  a  native  writer:  “In  1834 
these  schools  had  two  thousand  scholars,  and  though 
supported  by  the  people,  yet,  having  been  established  by 
the  advice  and  assistance  of  the  mission,  their  influence 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


I  86 

was  great  in  its  favor,  till  the  monks  and  priests  began 
to  preach  violently  against  the  mission  and  schools, 
‘  and  even  against  the  Patriarch  for  favoring  them' 
But  it  was  too  late  to  destroy  their  influence.  The  Ar¬ 
menians  had  become  roused  by  the  spreading  light.”* 
And  “  in  1835  the  revival  of  learning  and  piety  among 
the  Armenians  continued  to  advance  hand  in  hand.” 

The  seminary  at  Bebek  in  1840  commenced  with  three 
scholars,  and  in  the  following  year  the  number  of  the 
students  had  increased  to  twenty-four,  and  many  had 
been  refused  for  want  of  funds.  A  few  years  later  a  fe¬ 
male  seminary  started  at  Pera,  Constantinople,  with  its 
wonderful  effect  upon  the  community.  Education  of  the 
female,  neglected  for  centuries,  began  to  revive  in  the 
East ;  even  the  adult  women  and  matrons  attempted  to 
learn  to  read  their  Bibles,  and  they  generally  succeeded 
well.  “  Fifty  adult  females  have  begun  to  learn  to  read 
during  the  year;  more  than  fifty  have  already  learned  to 
read  well,  and  many  others  are  in  process  of  learning.” 
Thus  wherever  the  missionaries  went  there  they  started 
schools,  and  these  schools  were  not  only  the  centres  from 
which  light  radiated  around,  but  they  also  became  nuclei 
for  new  churches  in  many  places. 

We  therefore  find  the  number  of  the  schools  and 
scholars  constantly  increasing  year  after  year.  In  1854 
the  Bebek  Seminary  reported  its  number  of  pupils  fifty. 
“  Its  former  pupils  are  employed  as  preachers,  teachers, 
translators,  and  helpers  in  many  places.”  In  the  follow- 


*“  Mission  Schools”  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.,  page  375.  By  Rev.  R. 
G.  Wilder. 


THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  CHURCH.  1 87 

ing  year  “  it  was  found  impossible  to  supply  the  increas¬ 
ing  demand  for  teachers  and  preachers  from  the  semin¬ 
ary,  hence  the  missionaries  were  importunate  for  others, 
and  commenced  one  at  Tokat  with  twelve,  and  another 
at  Aintab  with  nine  students,  looking  to  the  lower 
schools  for  future  classes.  The  free  schools  increased 
this  year  to  thirty-eight,  and  the  whole  number  of  pupils 
nine  hundred  and  sixty.” 

It  was  in  the  same  year,  1855,  that  “  the  American 
Board  sent  the  Rev.  Drs.  Anderson  and  Thompson  to 
India  and  Turkey.”  In  the  previous  year  the  Baptist 
Missionary  Society  also  had  sent  its  deputation  to  India. 
“  The  result  of  these  delegations  was  that  the  character 
of  the  education  of  nearly  all  the  missionary  institutions 
of  the  highest  grade  was  wholly  changed.  The  English 
language  was  proscribed  and  the  curriculum  of  studies 
reduced  to  a  vernacular  basis.  Many  schools  were 
closed  and  some  missionaries  came  home,  and  consider¬ 
able  friction  was  occasioned,  but  the  new  system  was 
rigidly  enforced.”  * 

Dr.  Cyrus  Hamlin — whose  words  are  the  above — Dr. 
H.  J.  Van  Lennep,  and  some  other  missionaries  advo¬ 
cated  the  importance  of  a  thorough  education  and  the 
knowledge  of  the  English  language  for  the  native  min¬ 
istry,  believing  that  “  no  country  was  ever  reformed  but 
by  its  sons,”  and  that  for  such  a  great  work  a  better 
education  is  necessary.  They,  however,  met  not  a  little 
opposition  from  the  Board  and  some  of  their  asso¬ 
ciates. 


*  “  Among  the  Turks,”  page  275.  By  Dr.  C.  Hamlin. 


1 88 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


“  The  American  Board’s  change  of  base  on  the  matter 
of  education  ”  furnished  an  occasion — for  some  trouble 
in  the  field — for  some  Armenian  young  men  who  sought 
a  better  education  abroad.  But  their  aspiring  and  ven¬ 
turing  into  England  and  America  for  a  thorough  Eng¬ 
lish  education  subjected  them  to  some  of  the  mission¬ 
aries’  opposition,  and  afterwards  to  discouragement  in 
getting  employment  in  the  missionary  work.  Even  as 
late  as  in  1880  Dr.  Hamlin,  advocating  his  position, 
wrote  : — 

“  Every  young  man  who  started  with  a  good  founda¬ 
tion  of  English  and  of  character  has  done  well.  I  re¬ 
call  at  this  moment  five  such  cases  :  (1.)  Alexan  Bezjian, 
now  professor  in  Aintab  College.  (2.)  Alexander 
Dj  ijisian,  pastor  at  Ada  Barzar,  who  spent  one  or  two 
years  in  Edinburgh.  He  is  a  noble  and  strong  man  in 
judgment,  power  of  argument,  in  true  insight,  in  theo¬ 
logical  training,  and  as  a  preacher,  the  superior  of 
many  a  missionary.  (3.)  The  late  Broosa  pastor,  now 
head  of  the  high  school,  who  studied  at  Basle.  No 
one  will  dare  to  impugn  his  character  and  ability.  (4.) 
Pastor  Kerope,  like  the  others,  a  Bebek  Seminary  stu¬ 
dent.  He  went  to  England,  and  Mr.  Farnsworth,  in¬ 
stead  of  opposing  him,  had  the  grace  to  aid  him.  He 
made  a  good  impression  in  England  and  obtained  aid  to 
build  a  church,  and  Mr.  Farnsworth  pronounced  it  the 
best  church  that  has  been  erected  in  Turkey  among  the 
Protestants.  (5.)  Pastor  Thomas,  of  Diarbekir.  I  do 
not  know  of  a  man  who  speaks  the  Armenian  language 
who  is  his  equal  for  a  platform  speech.  He  carries  his 
audience  with  him.  He  is  clear  and  logical.  He  lifts 


THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  CHURCH. 


189 


up  his  audience  to  higher  planes  of  principle,  thought, 
and  feeling.”  Dr.  Hamlin  stated  in  the  same  letter 
above  quoted  that  “the  firm,  consistent,  persevering 
opposition  of  the  native  element  compelled  Marsovan, 
and  even  Harpoot,  after  years  of  useless  and  injurious 
resistance,  to  abandon  c  vernacular  education  as  the 
highest  to  which  man  may  aspire.” 

We  are  glad  that  now  a  general  harmony  exists  be¬ 
tween  the  Reformed  Armenian  churches  and  the  mission 
on  the  matter  of  education  and  co-operation  of  the 
foreign  and  native  forces  in  furthering  the  evangeliza¬ 
tion  of  Western  Asia.  And  it  is  not  uncommon  to  read 
in  the  reports  of  the  missionaries  that  “  the  relations 
between  the  missionaries  and  native  brethien  aie  coidial, 
and  the  general  conduct  of  the  work  is  wholly  under  the 
control  of  a  co-operative  committee,  consisting  of  the 
five  male  members  of  the  station  and  five  natives  ap¬ 
pointed  by  the  Evangelical  Union.”* 

Our  apparent  diverging  from  the  continuation  of  the 
narrative  of  the  progress  of  oui  schools,  and  as  means 
in  furthering  the  cause  of  Christ,  will  not  be  consideied 
as  such  when  we  remember  that  even  in  our  seeming 
divergence  we  have  been  able  to  see  that  a  libeial  edu¬ 
cation,  with  a  good  knowledge  of  the  English  language, 

^Evangelical  unions,  four  in  number,  are  like  presbyteries 
formed  by  the  native  pastors  and  licensed  preachers,  and  meet 

“  Our  fellow-workers,  whether  Armenian  or  Greek,  have, 
with  rare  exceptions,  been  true  helpers  in  the  Lord’s  work, 
and  for  the  last  eight  years  they  have  co-operated  with  the  mis¬ 
sionaries  on  terms  of  perfect  equality  in  all  matters  pertaining  to 
the  evangelistic  work  and  common-school  education.  Rev.  Dr. 
Farnsworth,  The  Missionary  Herald,  February,  1892. 


190 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


has  raised  from  the  natives  such  able  teachers  and 
preachers,  whose  number  is  now  greatly  increased  since 
the  mission  was  “  compelled  to  abandon  ‘  vernacular 
education  ’  as  the  highest  to  which  man  may  aspire.” 
And  the  consequent  harmony,  on  this  and  other  points, 
now  crowns  the  work  with  the  greatest  success  attain¬ 
able  under  such  disadvantages  and  oppositions  of  the 
Turkish  government,  which  greatly  hinder  the  work. 

The  annual  report  of  the  Board  gives  the  following 
statistics  on  the  subject  of  education: — 

Three  hundred  and  eighty-one  common  schools  for 
boys  and  girls. 

Four  hundred  and  ninety-one  teachers  for  these 
schools. 

Fourteen  thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty-six  pupils 
in  these  schools. 

Twenty-seven  colleges,  high,  and  boarding-schools  for 
boys. 

Seventeen  high  and  boarding-schools  for  girls. 

Nineteen  hundred  and  sixty-five  pupils,  boys  and  girls, 
in  these  schools. 

Four  theological  seminaries. 

Twenty-five  students. 

Eighteen  thousand  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight  the 
total  under  instruction.* 

If  these  figures  are  not  positive  proofs  of  the  wonder¬ 
ful  progress  of  the  work  of  education,  of  the  superiority 
of  the  missionary,  or  rather  Protestant  institutions,  and 
of  the  love  of  truth  of  the  native  youth  who  flock  into 

*  A  very  small  percentage  of  this  number  and  of  the  communi¬ 
cants  is  made  up  of  the  Greek  converts. 


THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  CHURCH.  I9I 

these  schools,  surely  we  have  not  and  cannot  have  any 
better  evidence  to  support  our  statement. 

The  religious  influence  of  these  schools  is  great  upon 
the  Armenian  community.  Great  masses  of  the  people 
have  been  enlightened  to  such  a  degree  as  to  seldom 
discuss  on  the  minor  topics  of  differences  of  forms  or 
rites  in  different  churches,  but  the  weightier  matters  of 
spiritual  realities  have  taken  possession  of  them.  In 
various  places  the  students  of  these  schools  have  organ¬ 
ized  Young  Men’s  Christian  Associations,  Young  Peo¬ 
ple’s  Societies  of  Christian  Endeavor,  and  they  are  act¬ 
ively  engaged  in  spreading  the  true  light  of  Christianity 
throughout  the  country.  No  more  will  you  hear  the 
clergymen  of  the  ancient  Armenian  Church  preach  to 
their  congregations,  as  they  used  to  twenty-five  or  thirty 
years  ago,  anything  but  the  gospel. 

The  influence  of  these  schools  is  immeasurably  great, 
from  the  educational  point  of  view,  upon  the  Protestant, 
non-Protestant  Armenians,  and  other  communities.  Over 
twenty  years  ago  Hagop  Effendi,  the  civil  head  of  the 
Protestant  community,  having  “  made  a  tour  of  observa¬ 
tion  through  the  empire,”  reported  that  “  the  fact  that 
eighty-five  per  cent,  of  the  adults  in  (Protestant)  com¬ 
munity  can  read,  speaks  greatly  in  favor  of  its  members.” 

In  many  a  town  and  village  where  there  was  either  no 
school  or  a  very  poor  one,  but  as  soon  as  the  Protestants 
started  one  the  other  communities  were  also  roused  to 
open  schools  or  improve  theirs  as  to  prevent  children 
attending  the  Protestant  school.  Not  only  the  intelligent 
Armenians  have  seen  the  necessity  of  schools  to  meet 
the  need  of  the  rising  generation,  but  even  the  indolent 


192 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


Turks  were  roused  to  open  schools,  as  it  were,  in  oppo¬ 
sition  to  the  Protestant  schools,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
Turkish  college,  so-called,  at  Harpoot,  opposite  the 
Armenia  college  of  the  Protestants.  The  missionary 
writes  from  Harpoot :  “  The  Armenian  schools  are  also 
making  progress.  Their  common  schools  are  superior 
to  the  Turkish  common  schools.  In  the  leading  towns 
they  have  opened  schools  for  girls.  Even  the  Turks  are 
preparing  to  open  a  girls’  school  here.” 

It  will  be  impossible  to  follow  the  salutary  influences 
of  the  Evangelical  churches,  Sabbath-schools,  and  vari¬ 
ous  Christian  organizations  and  institutions  which  are 
flowing  into  different  channels,  and  effecting  great 
changes  in  domestic,  social,  and  business  relations  of 
the  people,  and  above  all  “  silently  molding  the  destinies 
of  the  empire.” 

But  let  not  our  reader  be  misled  into  thinking  that  the 
Turkish  empire  is  willing  to  be  molded,  or  unconscious 
of  these  “  silently  molding  ”  influences.  The  distin¬ 
guished  Oriental  traveler,  Vambery,  more  than  twenty 
years  ago  remarked  that  “  Islamism  is  now  engaged  in  a 
final  struggle  with  Western  civilization  which  must  result 
in  the  success  of  the  latter.  For  fifty  years  Christian 
missionaries  have  been  laboring  for  the  evangelization 
of  the  empire,  and  it  is  a  cheering  fact  that  great  results 
have  been  achieved,  but  all  has  been  among  the  nominal 
Christians.  This  movement  carried  to  completion  may 
instill  a  vitality  into  these  communities  which  shall  en¬ 
able  them  to  survive  the  crash  of  the  Turkish  power 
when  it  comes.  But  to  this  day  Islamism  presents  a 
solid  front  against  the  spirit  and  success  of  evangelical 


THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  CHURCH.  1 93 

and  enlightened  progress.”  And  this  “  solid  front  ”  is 
now  more  consolidated  and  even  aggressive  than  ever 
before,  as  the  following  unanimous  testimony  of  many, 
in  regard  to  this  fact,  will  show  : — 

“  A  number  of  letters  have  come  to  us  from  different 
sources  which  indicate  that  the  condition  of  affairs  in 
Turkey  is  such  as  may  well  occasion  not  a  little  anxiety. 
In  order  to  fully  understand  them  a  few  words  in  regard 
to  the  attitude  of  the  Turkish  government  toward  Chris¬ 
tianity  will  be  useful. 

“  This  attitude  is  never  openly  aggressive  in  prosely- 
tism,  nor  is  it  openly  hostile.  Christians,  however,  do 
not  stand  on  equal  footing  with  Moslems  before  the  law, 
and  what  rights  they  have  are  grudgingly  bestowed.  A 
mosque  can  be  built  without  any  hinderance,  but  to 
build  a  church  requires  a  firman,  and  that  is  beset  by  so 
many  difficulties  that  the  attempt  to  secure  one  is  often 
given  up  in  despair.  So  with  schools,  which  are  readily 
promised,  but  which  meet  with  constant  hinderances  that 
do  not  appear  on  the  surface.  Everywhere  there  is  a 
marked  increase  of  jealousy  of  Christian  progress,  and 
a  constant  effort  to  restrict  and  even  withdraw  the  rights 
granted  to  the  Christian  communities  at  the  time  of  con¬ 
quest,  and  enjoyed  by  them  ever  since. 

“  That  this  effort  has  not  succeeded  to  any  great  ex¬ 
tent  is  due  partly  to  foreign  influence,  partly  to  fear  of  a 
great  commotion  among  both  Armenians  and  Greeks, 
and  partly  to  dread  of  the  press,  which  is  a  considerable 
power,  notwithstanding  the  rigid  censorship  maintained 
by  the  government.  How  rigid  this  is  can  hardly  be 
appreciated  by  any  one  who  has  not  had  personal 


i94 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


experience  in  either  Turkey  or  Russia.  Free  reference 
to  current  topics  is  absolutely  forbidden,  often  merest 
mention  of  them  is  not  allowed.  Special  authorization 
is  required  for  the  publication  of  any  book,  pamphlet, 
or  even  leaflet ;  and  if  there  is  the  slighest  flavor  of 
criticism  of  the  government  or  Islam,  or  even  a  thought 
that  could  be  construed  as  offensive  to  them,  the  permit 
is  refused.  Readers,  geographies,  histories,  for  use  in 
schools,  are  often  amended,  mutilated,  or  proscribed  al¬ 
together,  and  even  foreign  books,  intended  for  private 
libraries,  some  of  them  standard  works,  are  confiscated. 
The  missionaries  at  one  of  the  interior  stations  have  been 
for  years  trying  to  secure  the  permit  to  use  a  small  hand- 
press  on  which  they  desire  to  print  school  programmes, 
leaflets,  &c.  The  pledge  to  print  nothing  that  does  not 
receive  the  approval  of  the  censor  avails  nothing.  The 
government  seems  to  be  as  afraid  of  the  bit  of  machin¬ 
ery  as  if  it  were  a  charge  of  dynamite.”  * 

The  Rev.  Dr.  H.  N.  Barnum,  of  Harpoot,  furnishes 
us  with  the  following  striking  instance  of  restriction  of 
the  government,  which  will  show  under  what  disadvan- 

*  The  Independent  of  August  27th,  1891. 

The  Turk  never  did  believe  much  in  tolerance,  and  never  al¬ 
lows  it  where  he  can  help  it.  *  *  *  The  edict  has  gone  forth 
for  subjection  of  all  Christians,  native  and  foreign,  “  to  the  strictest 
press  censorship  and  scrutiny  for  Bible  and  Christian  books,” 
while  houses  are  not  to  be  “  used  as  schools  and  churches  except 
by  the  authority  of  an  imperial  firman.”  This  really  means,  in 
the  present  temper  of  the  Porte,  cessation  of  missionary  and  edu¬ 
cational  operations.  Already  Bibles  have  been  burnt  and  books 
destroyed,  and  there  is  great  anxiety  in  missionary  and  Bible  cir¬ 
cles,  both  in  England  and  America. —  The  Presbyterian ,  April 
13th,  1892. 


THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  CHURCH.  I95 

tages  and  hinderances  the  missionary  work  is  advanc¬ 
ing  : — 

“  The  Turkish  government  has  published  a  new  regu¬ 
lation  which  requires  that  all  essays  and  written  ad¬ 
dresses  for  public  occasions  shall  be  submitted  to  the 
censorship  in  advance,  and  receive  its  approval.  This 
requirement  was  complied  with  here ;  but  one  of  the 
young  ladies,  in  order  to  round  out  a  paragraph  and 
give  additional  force  to  her  line  of  thought,  unwisely 
added  a  sentence  to  the  copy,  which  she  read  in  public, 
in  glorification  of  the  cross.  This  was  at  once  reported 
to  the  local  government,  probably  by  the  censor  himself, 
who  was  present,  as  having  a  political  significance,  and 
as  meaning  that  the  cross  was  to  triumph  over  the  cres¬ 
cent,  and  all  that.  So  there  was  a  breeze !  The  author¬ 
ities  said :  ‘  We  have  always  had  confidence  in  these 
American  schools  that  they  were  free  from  political  in¬ 
trigue,  but  now  it  is  manifest  that  they  must  be  watched.’ 
But  a  presentation  of  the  offending  document  to  the 
governor-general,  with  the  assurance  that  the  change 
was  made  by  the  writer  without  the  knowledge  of  any 
one  else,  quieted  the  official  alarm  ;  yet  it  was  a  little 
embarrassing  to  those  who  had  scented  incipient  revolu¬ 
tion  !  The  delicacy  of  the  political  situation  can  be 
judged  by  the  fact  that  an  innocent  sentence  uttered  by 
a  young  girl  can  produce  such  a  disturbance.”* 

A  few  instances  given  in  the  previous  pages,  and  like 
the  above,  out  of  many,  will  justify  us  to  agree  with 
Vambery  and  repeat  his  words  here  :  “  The  conviction 
is  inevitable  that  until  the  power  of  Islamism  is  broken 


*  The  Missionary  Herald ,  October,  1891. 


196 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


the  true  reformation  of  this  land  is  an  impossibility.  At 
whose  door  shall  we  lay  the  blame  of  cherishing  such  a 
viper?  That  the  solution  of  the  vexed  question  of  the 
political  status  of  Turkey  involves  grave  difficulties  can¬ 
not  be  denied.  But  those  (the  European  powers)  that 
are  pleased  to  preserve  the  existing  state  of  things  as  a 
barrier  for  themselves  against  the  encroachments  of  an 
already  overgrown  European  power  ought  to  take  into 
consideration  the  results  of  encouraging  the  continuance 
of  a  power  at  once  so  poisonous  and  so  suicidal  as  that 
of  the  waning  crescent.” 

The  number  of  the  missionaries  of  the  American 
Board,  married  and  unmarried,  and  male  and  female,  is 
one  hundred  and  fifty-seven.  They  occupy  fifteen  sta¬ 
tions,  or  such  central  cities  where  greater  activity  is 
required.  These  stations  are  also  the  centres  of  educa-  . 
tion,  where  the  seminaries,  colleges,  high  and  board¬ 
ing-schools  are  located.  The  printing  press  and  the 
publications  of  religious  papers,  tracts,  and  books  have 
their  establishment  at  the  capital,  Constantinople. 

The  missionaries  are  engaged  in  teaching  in  these 
various  schools,  in  occasional  preaching,  in  general  su¬ 
perintending  the  work,  as  the  medium  between  the 
Board  and  the  mission  churches,  in  opening  new  sta¬ 
tions  of  preaching,  and  they  have  also  the  oversight  and 
management  of  the  publication  work. 

“  This  department  serves  the  needs  of  the  three  mis¬ 
sions  (Western,  Central,  Eastern)  in  Asiatic  Turkey, 
employs  the  constant  labors  of  three  missionaries  and 
several  able  native  brethren,  and  contributes  in  a  notable 
degree  to  the  power  and  stability  of  the  growing  Chris- 


THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  CHURCH.  I97 

tian  life  and  institutions  of  the  empire.  The  summary 
of  publications  for  the  year  is  as  follows : — 

PAGES. 

Armenian  books  and  tracts . 4,822,928 

Armeno-Turkish  (Armenian  characters  in  Turkish  lan¬ 
guage)  books  and  tracts . 1,663,584 

Greco-Turkish  books  and  tracts . 668,848 

Greek  books  and  tracts  . . 78,000 

Arabo-Turkish  books  and  tracts .  487,500 

Total  number  of  pages* . 7,721,860 

The  foregoing  brief  sketch  of  the  work  of  reforma¬ 
tion  will  hardly  leave  any  room  to  restate  the  fact  that 
through  the  consecrated  services  of  the  missionaries  of 
this  Board  a  great  revival  of  learning  and  piety,  begun 
long  ago,  is  still  continuing  with  wonderful  rapidity  in 
spite  of  all  the  oppositions  and  unjust  requirements  of 
the  Turkish  government.  That  a  pure  evangelical 
Christianity  is  now  well  established  in  this  Mohamme¬ 
dan  Empire ;  that  setting  up  the  gospel  standard  in  the 
land,  blowing  the  trumpet  among  the  nations,  preparing 
the  nation  against  her,  modern  Babylon  (the  Turkish 
Empire),  and  calling  together  against  her  the  kingdoms 
of  Ararat,  Minni,  and  Ashchenaz  have  aroused  the  Baby¬ 
lonish  power,  which  is  straining  every  nerve  to  crush 
the  existence  of  the  religion  of  Christ  in  her  dominions- 
Her  overthrow,  however,  is  sure  to  come  when  “  the 
kings  of  the  Medes  ” — the  Aryan  powers  of  Europe — 
hear  the  Divine  call  to  fulfill  their  mission.  And  also 
those  who  pray,  “  Thy  kingdom  come  ”  will  always  have 
a  sacred  interest  in  Armenia  or  Ararat,  which  has  lost 


*  Annual  Report  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  for  1891. 


198 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


her  kingdom  for  receiving  Christ’s  kingdom,  and  she 
now  sits  solitary  and  mourns  for  her  desolation,  and 
weeps,  like  Rachel,  for  her  oppressed,  tortured,  impris¬ 
oned,  massacred,  exiled  children,  and  also  for  those  who 
have  preferred  voluntary  exile  to  the  tyranny  of  an  op¬ 
pressive  and  hostile  government;  and  as  the  captive 
Jews,  who  sat  by  the  rivers  of  Babylon  and  wept  when 
they  remembered  Zion,  so,  too,  these  expatriated  sons  of 
Armenia  in  their  solitary  wanderings  remember  their 
fatherland,  and  weepingly  cry  out : — 

“  O  God,  why  hast  Thou  cast  us  off  forever  ?  why 
doth  Thine  anger  smoke  against  the  sheep  of  Thy 
pasture  ? 

“  Remember  Thy  congregation,  which  Thou  has  pur¬ 
chased  of  old. 

“  Have  respect  unto  the  covenant :  for  the  dark  places 
of  the  earth  are  full  of  the  habitations  of  cruelty. 

“  Arise,  O  God,  plead  Thine  own  cause.”  (Psalm 
lxxiv.  I,  2,  20,  22.) 

The  missionary  work  in  Persia  was  also  begun  by  the 
American  Board,  in  1835,  at  Oroomiah.  The  Board 
transferred  this  field  to  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  1871. 
From  this  time  the  Presbyterian  Church,  through  its 
missionaries,  has  been  carrying  on  the  work  of  evangel¬ 
ization  of  this  historic  land.  The  work  under  the  Amer¬ 
ican  Board  was  almost  exclusively  confined  to  the  Nes- 
torian  or  Chaldean  Christians,  but  since  the  occupation 
of  the  field  by  the  Presbyterian  Church  a  direct  mission¬ 
ary  work  began  among  the  Armenians  in  Persia. 

Teheran,  the  capital  of  Persia,  where  the  work  began 
in  1872,  now  has  an  evangelical  church  composed  mostly 


THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  CHURCH. 


199 


of  the  Armenians.  “The  entire  number  of  the  mem¬ 
bers  enrolled  is  fifty.  Preaching  has  been  sustained  in 
the  chapel  on  the  mission  premises-,  and  regular  services 
in  the' Armenian  language  have  been  held  in  the  West 
Side  Chapel  by  our  Armenian  preacher,  who  reports  a 
marked  increase  in  the  congregation.  The  native  church 
is  contemplating  the  erection  of  a  new  church  building, 
which  they  hope  to  secure  largely  through  funds  raised 
by  themselves  and  given  by  friends  in  Persia  * 

Hamadan,  the  ancient  capital  of  the  Persian  Empire, 
was  occupied  by  the  mission  in  1880.  The  evangelical 
church  at  this  city  seems  to  be  made  up  largely  of  Ar¬ 
menians.  “  Our  work  is  conducted  in  two  sections  of 
the  city,  known  as  the  Armenian  and  Jewish  quarters 
respectively.  There  is  but  one  church  organization, 
however,  into  which  the  followers  of  Christ  without  dis¬ 
tinction  of  name  are  gathered.  During  the  past  year 
twenty-four,  including  five  Jews  and  one  Moslem,  pub¬ 
licly  confessed  Christ.”  The  report  made  to  the  General 
Assembly,  May,  1891,  further  states  that  “  preaching  has 
been  continued  at  Sheverine,  a  suburb  of  Hamadan, 
where  after  morning  service  in  the  Armenian  church  in 
this  city  the  native  pastor  goes,  accompanied  by  Miss 
Annie  Montgomery.  Immediately  after  the  preaching 
service  a  sabbath-school  is  held;  also  a  prayer-meeting 
on  Thursdays  which  is  largely  attended  by  Moslem  and 
Armenian  women.” 

From  another  place,  Kasvin,  the  Armenians  are  call¬ 
ing  for  a  school  and  church  organization.  Mr.  Esselstyn 

*  See  the  Report  of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  presented  to 
the  General  Assembly,  May,  1891. 


200 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


writes :  “  Armenians  are  constantly  begging  us  to  open 
a  primary  school,  and  a  small  number  have  even  asked 
for  a  church  organization.  Many  Moslems  are  secretly 
well  disposed  towards  us.” 

Tabriz,  a  city  of  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
inhabitants,  was  made  a  centre  of  missionary  activity  in 
1873,  but  a  direct  work  was  begun  among  the  Armenians 
still  later. 

Tabriz  Boys'  School  and  Theological  Class,  which  is 
placed  under  the  care  and  instruction  of  Rev.  S.  G. 
Wilson,  seems  to  be  destined  to  become  a  great  centre 
of  Christian  influence  and  civilization,  radiating  the  light 
of  the  truth,  not  only  into  the  different  parts  of  the  be¬ 
nighted  Persian  Empire,  but  even  into  the  beclouded — 
by  superstitions,  formalisms,  and  despotism — Empire  of 
Russia  Mr.  Wilson  writes  about  the  recent  graduates 
of  this  school  as  follows  :  “  They  are  earnest  Christians, 
and  most  of  them  of  superior  ability.  Their  foundation 
in  science  and  languages  is  well  laid.  Besides  Armenian 
(their  mother  tongue),  three  of  them  are  quite  proficient 
in  English,  Turkish,  and  Persian;  two  are  familiar  with 
Syriac,  two  with  Arabic,  two  with  Russian,  and  one  with 
the  Kurdish  language.  This  diversity  of  tongues  makes 
them  well  fitted  to  find  opportunities  among  the  heter¬ 
ogeneous  people.” 

So,  too,  the  girls’  school  at  Tabriz  is  exerting  a  great 
influence  upon  the  Armenian  community  far  and  wide. 
“  Two  Armenian  young  women  from  Russia,  about 
eighteen  years  of  age,  coming  from  an  evangelical  com¬ 
munity  near  Kars,  have  entered  the  school,  having  it  for 
their  object  to  fit  themselves  for  Christian  work.  Mrs. 


THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  CHURCH. 


201 


Van  Hook  writes  that  their  native  piety  has  great  in¬ 
fluence  in  the  school,  and  she  is  much  encouraged  in 
finding  that  the  school  has  acquired  a  name  which  draws 
pupils  from  such  a  distance.” 

It  is  impossible  to  state  with  any  accuracy  how  many 
of  the  thirty-two  hundred  and  ninety  pupils,  who  are 
receiving  instruction  from  the  American  missionaries 
and  native  teachers,  at  various  places  in  Persia,  are 
Armenians,  but  the  innate  desire  of  the  Armenian  for  a 
better  and  higher  education,  wherever  he  may  be,  will 
guarantee  us  to  say  that  the  number  cannot  be  much 
less  than  the  one-third  of  the  above,  and  soon  their 
number  will  outnumber  that  of  the  other  nationalities 
even  in  Persia. 

It  is  delightful  to  see  that  the  Presbyterian  Church 
Fas  in  Persia  eight  medical  missionaries,  two  of  whom 
are  females.  The  grand  opportunities  and  facilities  that 
a  medical  missionary  finds  in  making  “known  God’s 
saving  health  to  all  the  people  ”  are  well  summed  up  in 
the  following  words  of  Rev.  F.  G.  Coan,  of  Oroomiah, 
after  a  long  tour  through  the  mountain  regions  of  Kur¬ 
distan  : — 

“  I  was  greatly  impressed  with  the  wonderful  facilities 
a  physician  enjoys  for  gospel  work.  His  profession 
opens  to  him  a  door  everywhere.  From  Kurdish  and 
Arab  sheikh  and  Turkish  official  to  the  poorest  peasant, 
all  hold  him  as  a  friend  and  benefactor.  He  has  oppor¬ 
tunities  rarely  given  others  of  making  known  God’s  sav¬ 
ing  health  to  all  the  people.  An  illustration  of  the  way 
in  which  a  physician  opens  the  door  for  the  gospel  was 
afforded  us  in  Darwoodia  in  Supna.  Two  years  prior  to 


202 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


this  visit  Rev.  McDowell  and  I,  after  fifteen  hours’  ride 
in  the  saddle,  arrived  at  this  place  late  at  night  and  were 
refused  lodgings.  With  much  difficulty  and  through 
the  payment  of  large  sums  for  all  we  needed,  we  were 
finally  allowed  to  remain  over  night.  At  this  visit  all 
was  changed.  The  whole  village,  including  the  Turkish 
officials  and  the  Catholic  priest,  were  most  cordial  dur¬ 
ing  our  ten  days’  stay,  and  urged  us  to  build  and  settle 
there.  The  priest  every  night  took  one  of  us  up  to  his 
own  house,  where  he  gathered  an  audience  for  us  and 
asked  us  to  preach.  This  change  had  all  come  about 
through  the  medical  work  which  Dr.  Wishard  had  done 
there  the  previous  year.” 

Herodotus  found  a  custom  among  the  ancient  Baby¬ 
lonians  of  which  he  spoke  with  praise.  “  The  following 
custom  seems  to  me  the  wisest  of  their  institutions  next 
to  the  one  lately  praised.  They  have  no  physicians,  but 
when  a  man  is  ill  they  lay  him  in  the  public  square  and 
the  passers-by  come  up  to  him,  and  if  they  have  ever 
had  his  disease  themselves  or  have  known  any  one  who 
has  suffered  from  it  they  give  him  advice,  recommend¬ 
ing  him  to  do  whatever  they  found  good  in  their  case 
or  in  the  case  known  to  them.  And  no  man  is  allowed 
to  pass  the  sick  man  in  silence  without  asking  him  what 
his  ailment  is.”* 

This  custom  is  still  in  existence  in  the  East,  with 
only  one  modification,  namely,  instead  of  laying  the 
sick  person  in  the  public  square  they  keep  him  in  the 
house,  but  the  doors  of  the  house  are  open  for  anybody 
to  come  in  and  ask  the  ailment  of  the  sick  and  suggest 


*  Book  I.,  197, 


THE  REFORMED  ARMENIAN  CHURCH. 


203 


a  drug  or  a  method  of  cure.  The  reader  can  easily  im¬ 
agine  the  condition  of  the  sick  and  the  disappointment 
of  his  friends.  It  is,  therefore,  no  wonder  that  these 
poor  sufferers  an-d  their  friends  will  exclaim,  like  Job, 
“  Ye  are  all  physicians  of  no  value,”  and  welcome  the 
medical  missionary,  who  is  in  a  deep  sympathy  with  the 
spiritual  and  bodily  welfare  of  the  sick,  and  who  readily 
detects  what  the  disease  is  and  what  medicines  will 
counteract  the  action  of  the  poison  in  the  system.  And 
often  do  the  medical  missionaries,  as  soon  as  they  ar¬ 
rive  at  a  town  or  village  surrounded  by  a  host  of  suffer¬ 
ers  and  their  sympatlizing  friends,  remember  the  scenes 
depicted  by  the  evangelists  in  the  time  of  Christ  and  the 
Apostles.  And  no  church  or  missionary  organization 
can  do  any  better  in  sending  out  missionaries  than  to  fol¬ 
low  the  example  of  the  Head  of  the  Church,  who  “  sent 
them  to  preach  the  kingdom  of  God  and  heal  the 
sick.”  (Luke  ix.  2.) 


APPENDIX. 


INSCRIPTIONS  OF  ARMENIA. 

(From  “Journal  of  Royal  Asiatic  Society,”  volume  XIV.) 

Translated  by  Prof.  A.  H.  Sayce,  of  Oxford,  England. 

Inscription  of  Sarduris  I. 

* 

I. 

1.  The  tablet  (?)  of  Sarduris,  Son  of  Lutipri  the  great 
King,  the  strong  King,  the  King  of  multitudes.  King 
of  Nairi,  the  King  (of  whom)  his  rival  existed  not,  the 
shepherd  of  habitations ;  he  who  feared  not  opposition, 
the  King  who  subdues  those  who  are  not  obedient  to 
him. 

2.  Sarduris,  the  Son  of  Lutipri,  the  King  of  Kings, 
of  whom  all  them,  the  Kings,  the  tribute  I  received. 
Sarduris,  the  Son  of  Lutipri,  ground  this  for  Cubulam 
these  from  the  midst  of  the  City  of  Aluiun  I  removed, 
I  this  Citadel  have  built. 

Inscription  of  Ispuinis. 

III. 

i.  Ispuinis,  Son  of  Sarduris  the  altar  (?)  has  restored; 
For  the  gods,  children  of  Khaldis  the  favorable  (?) 
Ispuinis  Son  of  Sarduris  the  temple  has  restored ;  as  a 

(205) 


20  6 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


chamber  which  was  decayed  the  place  of  images 

the  country 

2.  Ispuinis  the  Son  of  Sarduris  this  house  has  built. 

Inscriptions  of  Ispuinis  and  Menuas. 

Regulation  of  Sacrifices  to  the  gods. 

V. 

1.  To  Khaldis,  the  lord,  Ispuinis,  the  Son  of  Sarduris 
(and)  Menuas  the  Son  of  Ispuinis  (these  gates)  having 
been  built. 

2.  Have  set  up  the  regulations  of  sacrifice,  day  by  day 
(for)  month  each. 

To  Khaldis,  Teisbas  (the  Air-god)  (and)  the  Sun-god, 
the  gods  of  the  people  6  lambs. 

3.  To  Khaldis  for  sacrifice,  17  oxen,  34  sheep. 

To  Khaldis  (and)  the  inundator  the  Air-god  6  oxen,  12 
sheep.  To  the  Sun-god  4  oxen,  8  sheep. 

4.  To  Khudhuinis  2  oxen,  4  sheep.  To  Dhuranis  an 
ox,  2  sheep.  To  Huas  2  oxen,  4  sheep.  To  Nalainis  2 
oxen,  4  sheep.  To  Sebitus  2  oxen,  4  sheep.  To  Arsi- 
melas  2  oxen,  4  sheep. 

5.  To  Hanapsas  an  ox,  2  sheep.  To  Deduainis  an 
ox,  2  sheep.  To  the  Moon-god  an  ox,  2  sheep.  To  the 
dead  belonging  to  Khaldis  an  ox,  2  sheep. 

6.  To  Atbinis  an  ox,  2  sheep.  To  Kueras  an  ox,  2 
sheep.  To  Elipris  an  ox,  2  sheep.  To  Khalrainis  an 
ox,  2  sheep.  To  Adaratus  an  ox,  2  sheep.  To  Irmusi- 
nis  an  ox,  2  sheep.  To  the  God  who  (is)  when  the 
offerings  are  carried  away  an  ox,  2  sheep. 

7.  To  Aldutusinis  an  ox,  2  sheep.  To  Erinas  an  ox, 


INSCRIPTIONS  OF  ARMENIA. 


207 


2  sheep.  To  Siniris  an  ox,  2  sheep.  To  Huninas  an  ox, 

2  sheep.  To  Airainis  an  ox,  2  sheep.  To  the  god  of 
the  city  Zumar  an  ox,  2  sheep.  To  Kharas  an  ox,  2 
sheep.'  To  Arazas  an  ox,  2  sheep. 

8.  To  Zinkunis  an  ox,  2  sheep.  To  Huras  an  ox,  2 
sheep.  To  Artsibaddinis  an  ox,  2  sheep..  To  Arnis  an 
ox,  2  sheep.  To  the  four  Khaldises  of  the  house  an  ox, 
2  sheep.  To  the  multitudinous  Khaldises  an  ox,  2 
sheep. 

9.  To  the  Khaldises  of  an  ox,  2  sheep.  To  the 

horsemen  belonging  to  the  land  of  Khaldis  2  oxen,  4 
sheep.  To  the  horsemen  of  the  Air-god  2  oxen,  4 
sheep. 

10.  To  Ardhuharairus  2  oxen,  4  sheep.  To  the  god 
of  the  City  Ardinis  an  ox,  2  sheep.  To  the  god  of  the 
City  Kumenus  an  ox,  2  sheep.  To  the  god  of  the  City 
Dhuspas  an  ox,  2  sheep. 

11.  To  the  gods,  the  children  of  Khaldis  of  the  city 

an  ox,  2  sheep.  To  the  gods  of  the  City  of  Artsuinis 

an  ox,  2  sheep.  To  the  gods  of  the  place  of  Khaldis 

an  ox,  2  sheep.  To  Subas  an  ox,  2  sheep.  To  the  gate 

of  the  city  of  Khaldis  an  ox,  2  sheep. 

12.  To  the  gate  of  the  City  of  Eridias  an  ox,  2  sheep. 
To  the  gate  of  the  Sun-god  in  the  City  of  Huisis  an  ox, 
2  sheep.  To  Eliahas  an  ox,  2  sheep. 

13.  To  the  Khaldises  of  the  Citadel  an  ox,  2  sheep. 
To  the  Khaldises  the  gracious  an  ox,  2  sheep.  To  the 
gods  the  children  of  Khaldis  of  (buildings)  walls  an  ox, 
2  sheep. 

14.  To  Talapuras  an  ox,  2  sheep.  To  Kilibanis  an  ox, 
2  sheep.  To  the  god  of  the  country  of  Algonis  an  ox, 


208 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


2  sheep.  To  the  god  of  the  City  of  Tsuinis  (?)  an  ox, 
2  sheep.  To  the  god  of  the  City  of  Atkanas  2  oxen,  4 
(14)  sheep.  To  the  god  of  diras  2  oxen,  14  sheep. 

To  the  god  of  the  nations  4  oxen,  18  sheep. 

15.  To  the  Khaldises  of  the  dead  an  ox,  2  sheep. 
To  the  gate  of  the  City  of  the  god  Huais  the  City  of 
Nisiadurus  (?)  2  sheep.  To  (the  god)  of  the  land  of 
Babas  10  sheep.  To  Harubainis  a  wild  ox,  2  sheep. 
To  Babas  a  wild  ox,  2  sheep. 

16.  To  Dhuspuas  (the  god  of  the  people  of  Dhuspuas) 
a  wild  ox,  2  sheep.  To  Auis  (the  water-god)  a  wild  ox. 
To  Ayas  (the  Earth-god)  a  wild  ox.  To  Sardis  a  wild 
ox.  To  Tsinuyardis  2  sheep. 

17.  To  Ipkkaris  a  sheep.  To  Bartsias  a  sheep. 

18.  To  Siaias  a  sheep.  To  Arhas  a  sheep.  To  Adias 
a  sheep.  To  Uias  a  sheep.  To  the  god  of  Aais  4 
sheep.  To  Ardis  2  sheep.  To  the  god  of  Iunas  17 
sheep. 

19.  To  the  all  the  Khaldises,  the  gods,  food  for  all 
(and)  each  (and)  shields  by  Ispuinis,  Son  of  Sarduris 
(and)  Menuas  Son  of  Ispuinis. 

20.  Ispuinis  Son  of  Sarduris  and  Menuas  Son  of 

Ispuinis  To  the  Khaldises  of  every  kind  place  of 

approach  this  to  the  gods  of  the  nations.  3  oxen,  30 
sheep  and  the  they  have  given  (?)  in  any  case 

publicly  for  sacrifice  (?)  after  dawn  after  dusk  (?)  after 
dark.  (?) 

21.  Ispuinis  Son  of  Sarduris  (and)  Menuas  Son  of 
Ispuinis  monuments  these  have  set  up  to  Khaldis  ;  the 
(gifts,  works)  of  the  men  these  have  established  and  the 
images  of  the  mighty  gods. 


INSCRIPTIONS  OF  ARMENIA. 


209 


22.  Ispuinis  the  Son  of  Sarduris  and  Menuas  the  Son 
Ispuinis  altar  this  have  set  up ;  they  have  set  up  the  reg¬ 
ulations  (and)  the  god  of  wood  and  stone  (?)  after 

to  Khaldis  3  sheep  to  be  sacrificed  (and)  3  sheep  to 
the  gods  of  the  people,  the  gods  of  the  monuments  after 
the  spring ;  to  Khaldis  3  sheep  to  be  sacrificed  (and)  3 
sheep  to  the  gods  of  the  people,  the  gods  of  the  monu¬ 
ments  after  the  summer ;  to  Khaldis  3  sheep  to  be  sacri¬ 
ficed,  and  three  sheep  to  the  gods  of  the  people  after  the 
winter.  Then  they  have 

XX. 

The  following  is  on  a  rock  about  fifty  feet  high  near  the 
“  Gate  of  Treasure,”  a  place  of  pilgrimage,  at  Van  : — 

1.  To  the  Khaldis,  the  gracious,  Menuas,  son  of  Ispu¬ 
inis  here  the  tablets  destroyed  restores. 

To  the  children  of  Khaldis  the  multitudinous  be¬ 

longing  to  Menuas  Son  of  Ispuinis  the  mighty  King. 

2.  King  of  multitudes,  King  of  the  country  of  Van, 

inhabiting  the  City  of  Dhuspas.  Menuas  Son  of 

Ispuinis  say  :  whoever  this  tablet  carries  away 

whoever  carries  away  the  name  whoever  with 
the  earth  here  destroys  whoever  that  undoes 

3.  which  I  have  done ;  for  all  that  belongs  to  the 

rock  (?)  may  Khaldis,  the  Air-god  (and) 

Sun-god,  the  gods  him  publicly  name  his,  family 

his,  town  his,  to  fire  (and)  water  consign. 

XXI. 

This  inscription  is  on  the  castle  of  Van,  on  the  east 
side  of  “  Khorkhor”  (very  deep). 


210 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


1.  Menuas  Son  of  Ispuinis  this  injunction  has 

made  belonging  to  the  cave-tomb.  Menuas  says ;  the 
whole  of  the  chambers  excavated  for  these  be¬ 
longing  to  the  tomb  he  has  executed  (both)  the 

suite  of  chambers  (and)  the  inscriptions. 

2.  Menuas  say ;  whoever  the  bulls  (?)  belong¬ 
ing  to  them  removes,  and  whoever  destroys  with 

water  whoever  the  dead  belonging  to  them 

robs  (injures),  whoever  of  this  tablet  carries  away 

the  memory, 

3.  whoever  these  (things)  here  destroys,  for 

what  belongs  to  the  rock  (?)  may  Khaldis  the  Air-god 
(and)  the  Sun-god  him  in  public  the  name 

of  him,  the  family  of  him,  the  town  of  him, 

to  fire  (and)  water  consign. 

XXVI. 

This  is  found  on  stones  of  “  Seven  Churches,”  at  Van. 

To  Teisbas  Menuas,  Son  of  Ispuinis  this  inscribed 
stone  has  written,  belonging  to  Menuas  Son  of  Ispuinis 
the  powerful  King,  the  King  Biainian  *  inhabiting  the 
City  of  Dhuspas. 

XXX. 

The  following  inscription  is  engraved  on  a  rock  called 
in  Turkish  “  Yazlutash.”  (Written  stone  near  Malash- 
gherd.) 

1.  To  the  Khaldis  I  have  approached  to  the  powers 
mighty  in  the  powerful  country  belonging  to  the  Son  of 
Diaus. 

*  Biainia  stands  here  for  Armenia  ;  these  kings  call  themselves 
Biamians.  Dhnspas  is  the  old  name  of  the  city  of  Van. 


INSCRIPTIONS  OF  ARMENIA. 


21  I 


2.  To  Khaldis,  giver  to  the  Khaldis  the  mighty  the 
givers  to  the  children  of  Khaldis  the  gracious  I  have 
approached.  To  those  who  belong  to  Menuas  the  Son 
of  Ispuinis  I  have  approached  with  offering,  the  Khaldis. 

3.  Menuas  say;  I  have  conquered  belonging  to  the 
Son  of  Diaus  the  lands  (and)  the  City  of  Sasilus  the 
royal  city  I  have  conquered  for  a  spoil  the  country  I 
have  plundered,  the  palaces.  I  have  departed  out  of  the 
land  of  the  Sesatians,  the  City  of  Zuaians  (and)  of  the 
City  of  Udhukhias  the  neighborhood. 

4.  Menuas  say;  Udhupursis,  the  king  the  son  of 
Diaus,  I  attacked  with  arms  (?)  Hostages  and  Tribute,  I 
imposed.  On  receipt  (?)  of  gifts  (?)  I  changed  his  name  ; 
He  brought  gold  (and)  silver,  brought  he,  and  the 
princes,,  all  and  each,  the  priest  (and)  the  people. 

5. - Menuas  say;  the  many  possessions  of  the  Son  of 

Diaus,  horses,  horsemen,  chariots,  charioteers,  of  the 
magazines  the  sons  of, 

6.  I  carried  off  the  army  officers,  the  sons  of  the 

the  people  of  the  two  kingdoms  I  despoiled : 
of  the  Son  of  Baltul  the  countries,  of  the  City  of 
Khaldi-ri-alkhis  the  countries, 

the  palaces,  the  spoil,  (and)  the  seat  of  the  government 
I  despoiled. 

7.  Menuas  say ;  Whover  this  tablet  removes  ; 
whoever  removes  the  name ;  whoever  with  earth  here 
destroyed ;  Whoever  that  undoes  that  which  I  have 
done ;  for  all  that  belongs  to  the  rock  (?)  may  Khaldis, 
the  Air-god  (and)  Sun-god,  the  gods,  him  publicly,  the 
name  of  him,  the  family  of  him,  the  city  of  him,  to 
fire  and  water  consign. 


212 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


XXXII. 

This  inscription  is  found  in  Saint  Paul’s  Church,  at 
Van. 

1.  To  Khaldis  the  gracious,  Menuas  Son  of  Ispuinis 
(?)  to  the  land  of  the  Minni  *  on  approaching,  the  peo¬ 
ple  of  the  country  carried  away ;  I  plundered  the  goods 

the  camps  the  monuments,  belonging  to  the 

Son  of  Sadahadas,  belonging  to  the  country,  the 

City  of  Surisidas,  the  City  of  Torkhigamos,  the  City 
of  dhuras,  the  seat  of  the  Son  of  Sadahadas  which 

was  called. 

2.  The  City  of  das,  the  stones,  the  seat  of 

the  Hittites  which  was  called  belongiug  to  the  country 
of  Algis  2113  soldiers  partly  I  killed, 

partly  alive  I  took  some  and  each  I  brought  those 

belonging  to  the  army. 

XXXIII. 

The  following  inscription  is  engraved  on  the  face  of  a 
cliff  overlooking  the  Euphrates  at  Palu,  whose  old  name 
was  Puteria. 

1.  To  the  Khaldises  I  prayed,  to  the  powers  mighty, 
who  have  given  the  City  of  Puterias.  Who  have  given 
to  the  City  of  Khuzanas  the  countries  (and)  the  land  of 
Gupas  : 

2.  To  Khaldis  the  giver,  to  the  Khaldises  the  mighty, 
the  givers,  to  the  children  of  Khaldis,  the  gracious 
I  prayed,  belonging  to  Menuas  the  Son  of  Ispuinis  who 
has  conquered  belonging  to  the  City  of  Puterias  the 


*Jeremiah  li.  27. 


INSCRIPTIONS  OF  ARMENIA. 


213 


districts  and  belonging  to  the  city  of  Khuzanas  the  dis¬ 
tricts,  who  has  conquered  the  land  of  Gupas. 

3.  Who  has  departed  out  of  the  land  of  the  Hittites, 

this  inscribed  stone  who  has  written  and  to  Khaldis  who 
has  consecrated ;  who  has  conquered  (?)  of  the  City  of 
Puterias  the  neighborhood  Sudani-zavadas,  the 

King  of  Malatiyah  of  the  inhabitants,  who  have 

changed  (the  name)  (?) 

4.  To  the  children  of  Khaldis  the  multitudinous  be¬ 

longing  to  Menuas  the  Son  of  Ispuinis  the  powerful 
king,  the  king  of  multitudes,  the  King  Biamian, 

inhabiting  the  City  of  Dhuspas, 

5.  Menuas  say;  Whoever  of  this  tablet  removes  the 
memory,  whoever  removes,  whoever  these  (things  here) 
destroys,  for  what  belongs  to  the  rock  (?)  may  Khaldis, 
the  Air-god  (and)  Sun-god,  the  gods  him  publicly  the 
name  of  him,  the  family  of  him,  the  city  of  him  to  fire 
and  water  consign. 

XXXV. 

“The  following  inscription  is  found  near  Erzerum,  at 
Hassan  Kala  :  ” — 

1.  To  the  Khaldises,  the  gracious,  Menuas,  the  Son  of 
Ispuinis  this  palace  has  restored  which  was  decayed. 

2.  To  the  sons  of  Khaldis,  the  multitudinous,  belong¬ 
ing  to  Menuas  the  Son  of  Ispuinis,  the  powerful,  the 
king  of  multitudes,  the  Biainian,  inhabiting  the  City 
Dhuspas. 

XXXVI. 

Inscriptions  of  Argistis. 

“  The  following  inscription  was  copied  by  Vartabed 
Mesrob  Sampadian,  in  a  valley  near  Elorh,  near  Erevan, 


214 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


and  published  in  the  Armenian  Journal  of  Moscow, 
1863.” 

1.  To  the  Khaldis  I  prayed,  to  the  powers  mighty, 
who  have  given  the  Etiunians,  to  Khaldis  the  giver,  to 
the  Khaldises,  the  mighty,  the  givers,  to  the  children  of 
Khaldis,  the  gracious,  I  prayed,  belong  to  Argistis  the 
Son  of  Menuas,  who  had  conquered  of  Uluanis  the  land 
(and)  the  City  of  Doras  the  Lands. 

2.  To  the  children  of  Khaldis  the  multitudinous  be¬ 
longing  to  Argistis  the  Son  of  Menuas,  the  strong  King, 
the  king  of  multitudes  the  King  of  the  country  of 
Biainas,  inhabiting  the  City  of  Dhuspas. 

XLVII. 

Inscription  of  Sarduris  II. 

The  following  is  written  on  a  stone  in  the  Church  of 
Saint  Peter  (Sourp  Petros),  at  Van  : — 

1.  To  Khaldis  the  lord  this  stone  written 
Sarduris  Son  of  Argistis  has  engraved, 

To  the  children  of  Khaldis  the  multitudinous, 
belonging  to  Sarduris,  the  Son  of  Argistis, 

The  King  of  multitudes,  the  king  of  the  land  of 
Suras,  King  of  Van,  king  of  kings, 

Inhabiting  the  City  of  Dhuspas. 

2.  Sarduris  says :  I  have  established  the  offerings 
daily,  (and)  monthly  (several  lines  incomplete  here.) 

Sarduris  say :  Whoever  all  (?)  destroys  (or)  re¬ 
moves  the  name,  Whoever  this  tablet  removes, 

Whoever  with  earth  here  destroys,  undoes  on  this 


INSCRIPTIONS  OF  ARMENIA.  21  5 

stone  (?)  Whoever  undoes  which  I  have  made,  for  what 
belongs  to  the  stone  (?) 

3.  May  Khaldis,  the  Air-god  (and)  Sun-god,  the  gods  ; 
him  with  a  curse  four  times  four  publicly, 

The  name  of  him,  the  family  of  him,  the  city  of  him,  to 
fire  (and)  water  consign. 

4.  Sarduris  the  Son  of  Argistis  say:  Khaldis  120 
prisoners  has  brought,  on  enslaving  (them)  of  the 

20  prisoners  (and)  their  gods,  the  spoil  (and)  portions  of 
the  captives,  viz. : — 

These  oxen,  these  sheep,  belonging  to 

Their  property,  I  took  their  horsemen. 

XLI. 

Inscriptions  of  Rusas. 

Found  near  ancient  Managerd,  inscribed  on  bronze 
shields : — 

1.  To  the  children  of  Khaldis  the  multitudinous, 
belonging  to  Rusas,  the  Son  of  Erimenas,  the  power¬ 
ful  king, 

The  King  inhabiting  the  City  of  Dhuspas 

2.  To  the  children  of  Khaldis  the  multitudinous,  be¬ 
longing  to  Rusas  the  Grand  Son  of  Argistis  the  power¬ 
ful  king  inhabiting  the  City  of  Dhuspas. 

LII. 

For  Khaldis  the  mighty,  the  lord,  this  shield 
Rusas  the  Son  of  Erimenas  has  dedicated  (and) 

The  shield  bearers,  for  the  children  of  Khaldis 
the  multitudinous,  belonging  to  Rusas  Son  of  Erime- 


2l6 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


nas  the  strong  king,  the  King  inhabiting  the  City  of 
Dhuspas. 

The  Inscription  of  Xerxes,  the  Persian  King,  at 

Van. 

“A  great  god  is  Ormazd,  who  (is)  the  greatest  of  gods, 
Who  has  created  this  earth,  who  has  created  that 
heaven,  who  has 

Created  mankind,  who  has  given  happiness  to  men. 
Who  has  made  Xerxes  king,  sole  king  of  many  kings, 
Sole  lord  of  many.  I  am  Xerxes,  the  great  king. 

The  king  of  kings,  the  king  of  the  provinces  with  many 
languages,  the  king  of  this  great  earth,  far  and 

near,  Son  of  King  Darius,  the  Akhalmenian. 

Says  Xerxes  the  king  :  Darius  the  king,  my  father, 
Did  many  works,  through  the  protection  of  Ormazd,  and 
on  this  Monument  he  commanded  to  make  his 
tablet  and  an  image ;  yet  an  inscription  he  did  not 

make :  Afterwards  I  ordered  this  inscription  to  be 

written.  May  Ormazd,  along  with  all  the  gods,  protect 
me  and  my  kingdom  And  my  work.” 


Some  other  important  and  long  historical  inscriptions,  and 
fragments  of  inscriptions,  which  belong  to  the  kings  of  Ararat, 
are  omitted  here.  A  few  are  given  here  only  to  give  an  idea 
to  those  who  are  interested  in  the  antiquity  and  ancient  glory 
of  Armenia. 


THE  SULTAN,  ABDUL  MEDJID’S  PROMISES  OF 
REFORM.  HATTI  HUMAYOUN  OF  1856. 


Let  it  be  done  as  herein  set  forth. 

To  you,  my  grand  vizier,  Mehemed  Emin  Aali  Pasha,  decorated  with  my 
Imperial  Order  of  the  Medjidy6  of  the  first  class,  and  with  the  Order  of  Per¬ 
sonal  Merit ;  may  God  grant  to  you  greatness  and  increase  your  power  ! 

It  has  always  been  my  most  earnest  .desire  to  insure  the  happiness  of  all 
classes  of  the  subjects  whom  Divine  Providence  has  placed  under  my  Imperial 
sceptre ;  and  since  my  accession  to  the  throne  I  have  not  ceased  to  direct  all 
my  efforts  to  the  attainment  of  that  end. 

Thanks  to  the  Almighty,  these  unceasing  efforts  have  already  been  pro¬ 
ductive  of  numerous  useful  results.  From  day  to  day  the  happiness  of  the 
nation  and  the  wealth  of  my  dominions  go  on  augmenting. 

It  being  now  my  desire  to  renew  and  enlarge  still  more  the  new  institu¬ 
tions,  ordained  with  a  view  of  establishing  a  state  of  things  conformable  with 
the  dignity  of  my  empire  and  the  position  which  it  occupies  among  civilized 
nations  ;  and  the  rights  of  my  empire  having,  by  the  fidelity  and  praiseworthy 
efforts  of  all  my  subjects,  and  by  the  kind  and  friendly  assistance  of  the  Great 
Powers,  my  noble  allies,  received  from  abroad  a  confirmation  which  will  be 
the  commencement  of  a  new  era,  it  is  my  desire  to  augment  its  well-being  and 
prosperity,  to  effect  the  happiness  of  all  my  subjects,  who  in  my  sight  are  all 
equal  and  equallyjdear  to  me,  and  who  are  united  to  each  other  by  the  cordial 
ties  of  patriotism,  and  to  insure  the  means  of  daily  increasing  the  prosperity 
of  my  empire.  I  have,  therefore,  resolved  upon,  and  I  order  the  execution  of, 
the  following  measures  : — 

The  guarantees  promised  on  our  part  by  the  Hatti  Humayoun  of  Gfil  Hane, 
and  in  conformity  with  the  Tanzimat,  to  all  the  subjects  of  my  empire,  without 
distinction  of  classes  or  of  religion,  for  the  security  of  their  persons  and  prop¬ 
erty  and  the  preservation  of  their  honor,  are  to-day  confirmed  and  consolidated  ; 
and  efficacious  measures  shall  be  taken  in  order  that  they  may  have  their  full 
and  entire  effect. 

All  the  privileges  and  spiritual  immunities  granted  by  my  ancestors,  ab 
antiquo ,  and  at  subsequent  dates,  to  all  Christian  communities  or  other  non- 
Mussulman  persuasions,  established  in  my  empire  under  my  protection,  shall 
be  confirmed  and  maintained. 

Every  Christian  or  other  non-Mussulman  community  shall  be  bound,  within 
a  fixed  period,  and  with  the  concurrence  of  a  commission  composed,  ad  hoc, 
of  members  of  its  own  body,  to  proceed,  with  my  high  approbation  and  under 
the  inspection  of  my  Sublime  Porte,  to  examine  into  its  actual  immunities  and 
privileges,  and  to  discuss  and  submit  to  my  Sublime  Porte  the  reforms  re¬ 
quired  by  the  progress  of  civilization  and  of  the  age.  The  powers  conceded 
to  the  Christian  patriarchs  and  bishops  by  the  Sultan  Mahomet  II.  and  his 
successors  shall  be  made  to  harmonize  with  the  new  position  which  my  gener¬ 
ous  and  beneficent  intentions  insure  to  these  communities. 

The  principle  of  nominating  the  patriarchs  for  life,  after  the  revision  of  the 
rules  of  election  now  in  force,  shall  be  exactly  carried  out,  conformable  to  the 
tenor  of  their  firmans  of  investiture. 

(217) 


218 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


The  patriarchs,  metropolitans,  archbishops,  bishops,  and  rabbins  shall  take 
an  oath  on  their  entrance  into  office,  according  to  a  form  agreed  upon  in  com¬ 
mon  by  my  Sublime  Porte  and  the  spiritual  heads  of  the  different  religious 
communities.  The  ecclesiastical  dues,  of  whatever  sort  or  nature  they  be, 
shall  be  abolished,  and  replaced  by  fixed  revenues  for  the  patriarchs  and  heads 
of  communities,  and  by  the  allocation  of  allowances  and  salaries  equitably 
proportioned  to  the  importance  of  the  rank  and  the  dignity  of  the  different 
members  of  the  clergy. 

The  property,  real  or  personal,  of  the  different  Christian  ecclesiastics  shall 
remain  intact;  the  temporal  administration  of  the  Christian  or  other  non- 
Mussulman  communities  shall,  however,  be  placed  under  the  safeguard  of  an 
assembly  to  be  chosen  from  among  the  numbers,  both  ecclesiastics  and  laymen, 
of  the  said  communities. 

In  the  towns,  small  boroughs,  and  villages,  where  the  whole  population  is 
of  the  same  religion,  no  obstacle  shall  be  offered  to  the  repair,  according  to 
their  original  plan  of  buildings  set  apart  for  religious  worship,  for  schools,  for 
hospitals,  and  for  cemeteries. 

The  plans  of  these  different  buildings,  in  cases  of  their  erection,  must, 
after  having  been  approved  by  the  patriarchs  or  heads  of  communities,  be 
submitted  to  my  Sublime  Porte,  which  will  approve  of  them  by  my  imperial 
order,  or  make  known  its  observation  upon  them  within  a  certain  time. 

Each  sect,  in  localities  where  there  are  no  other  religious  denominations, 
shall  be  free  from  every  species  of  restraint  as  regards  the  public  exercise  of 
its  religion. 

In  the  towns,  small  boroughs,  and  villages,  where  different  sects  are  min¬ 
gled  together,  each  community  inhabiting  a  distinct  quarter  shall,  by  conform¬ 
ing  to  the  above-mentioned  ordinances,  have  equal  power  to  repair  and  im¬ 
prove  its  churches,  its.  hospitals,  its  schools,  and  its  cemeteries.  When  there 
is  question  of  the  erection  of  new  buildings  the  necessary  authority  must  be 
asked  for,  through  the  medium  of  the  patriarchs  and  heads  of  communities 
from  my  Sublime  Porte,  which  will  pronounce  a  sovereign  decision  according 
to  that  authority,  except  in  the  case  of  administrative  obstacles.  The  inter¬ 
vention  of  the  administrative  authority  in  all  measures  of  this  nature  will  be 
entirely  gratuitous.  My  Sublime  Porte  will  take  energetic  measures  to  insure 
to  each  sect,  whatever  be  the  number  of  its  adherents,  entire  freedom  in  the 
exercise  of  its  religion. 

Every  distinction  or  designation  tending  to  make  any  class  whatever  of  the 
subjects  of  my  empire  inferior  to  another  class,  on  account  of  their  religion, 
language,  or  race,  shall  be  for  ever  effaced  from  the  administrative  protocol. 
The  laws  shall  be  put  in  force  against  the  use  of  any  injurious  or  offensive 
term,  either  among  private  individuals  or  on  the  part  of  the  authorities. 

As  all  forms  of  religion  are  and  shall  be  freely  professed  in  my  dominions, 
no  subject  of  my  empire  shall  be  hindered  in  the  exercise  of  the  religion  that 
he  professes,  nor  shall  in  any  way  be  annoyed  on  this  account.  No  one  shall 
be  compelled  to  change  his  religion. 

The  nominations  and  choice  of  all  functionaries  and  other  employes  of  my 
empire,  being  wholly  dependent  upon  my  sovereign  will,  all  the  subjects  of  my 
empire,  without  distinction  of  nationality,  shall  be  admissible  to  public  employ¬ 
ments,  and  qualified  to  fill  them  according  to  their  capacity  and  merit,  and 
conformably  with  rules  to  be  generally  applied. 

All  the  subjects  of  my  empire,  without  distinction,  shall  be  received  into 
the  civil  and  military  schools  of  the  government  if  they  otherwise  satisfy  the 
conditions  as  to  the  age  and  examination  which  are  specified  in  the  organic 
regulations  of  the  said  schools.  Moreover,  every  community  is  authorized  to 
establish  public  schools  of  science,  art,  and  industry.  Only  the  method  of  in- 


HATTI  HUMAYOUN  OF  1 856. 


219 


struction  and  the  choice  of  professors  in  schools  of  this  class  shall  be  under 
the  control  of  a  mixed  council  of  public  instruction,  the  members  of  which 
shall  be  named  by  my  sovereign  command. 

All  commercial,  correctional,  and  criminal  suits  between  Mussulman  and 
Christian,  or  other  non-Mussulman  subjects,  or  between  Christians  or  other 
non-Mussulmans  of  different  sects,  shall  be  referred  to  mixed  tribunals. 

The -proceedings  of  these  tribunals  shall  be  public  ;  and  the  parties  shall  be 
confronted,  and  shall  produce  their  witnesses,  whose  testimony  shall  be  re¬ 
ceived  without  distinction,  upon  an  oath  taken  according  to  the  religious  law 
of  each  sect. 

Suits  relating  to  civil  affairs  shall  continue  to  be  publicly  tried  according 
to  the  laws  and  regulations  before  the  mixed  provincial  councils,  in  the  pres¬ 
ence  of  the  governor  and  judge  of  the  place.  Special  civil  proceedings,  such 
as  those  relating  to  successions,  or  others  of  that  kind,  between  subjects  of 
the  same  Christian  or  other  non-Mussulman  faith  may,  at  the  request  of  the 
parties,  be  sent  before  the  councils  of  the  patriarchs  or  of  the  communities. 

Penal,  correctional,  and  commercial  laws,  and  rules  of  procedure  for  the 
mixed  tribunals,  shall  be  drawn  up  as  soon  as  possible,  and  formed  into  a 
code.  Translations  of  them  shall  be  published  in  all  the  languages  current  in 
the  empire. 

Proceedings  shall  be  taken,  with  as  little  delay  as  possible,  for  the  reform 
of  the  penitentiary  system,  as  applied  to  houses  of  detention,  punishment,  or 
correction,  and  other  establishments  of  like  nature,  so  as  to  reconcile  the  rights 
of  humanity  with  those  of  justice.  Corporal  punishment  shall  not  be  adminis¬ 
tered,  even  in  the  prisons,  except  in  conformity  with  the  disciplinary  regula¬ 
tions  established  in  my  Sublime  Porte ;  and  everything  that  resembles  torture 
shall  be  abolished  entirely. 

Infractions  of  the  law  in  this  particular  shall  be  severely  repressed,  and 
shall  besides  entail,  as  of  right,  the  punishment,  in  conformity  with  the  civil 
code,  of  the  authorities  who  may  order  and  of  the  agents  who  may  commit 
them. 

The  organization  of  the  police  in  the  capital,  in  the  provincial  towns,  and 
in  the  rural  districts  shall  be  revised  in  such  a  manner  as  to  give  to  all  the 
peaceable  subjects  of  my  empire  the  strongest  guarantees  for  the  safety  both 
of  their  persons  and  property. 

The  equality  of  taxes  entailing  equality  of  burdens,  as  equality  of  duties 
entails  that  of  rights,  Christian  subjects,  and  those  of  other  non-Mussulman 
sects,  as  it  has  already  been  decided,  shall,  as  well  as  Mussulmans,  be  subject 
to  the  obligations  of  the  law  of  recruitment.  The  principle  of  obtaining  sub¬ 
stitutes,  or  of  purchasing  exemption,  shall  be  admitted.  A  complete  law  shall 
be  published,  with  as  little  delay  as  possible,  respecting  the  admission  into 
service  in  the  army  of  Christian  or  other  non-Mussulman  subjects. 

Proceedings  shall  be  taken  for  a  reform  in  the  constitution  of  the  provin¬ 
cial  and  communal  councils,  in  order  to  insure  fairness  in  the  choice  of  the 
deputies  of  the  Mussulman,  Christian,  and  other  communities,  and  freedom  of 
voting  in  the  councils.  My  Sublime  Porte  will  take  into  consideration  the 
adoption  of  the  most  effectual  means  for  ascertaining  exactly  and  for  control¬ 
ling  the  result  of  the  deliberations  and  the  decisions  arrived  at. 

As  the  laws  regulating  the  purchase,  sale,  and  disposal  of  real  property  are 
common  to  all  the  subjects  of  my  empire,  it  shall  be  lawful  for  foreigners  to 
possess  landed  property  in  my  dominions,  conforming  themselves  to  the  laws 
and  police  regulations,  and  bearing  the  same  charges  as  the  native  inhabitants, 
and  after  arrangements  have  been  come  to  with  foreign  powers. 

The  taxes  are  to  be  levied  under  the  same  denomination  from  all  the  sub¬ 
jects  of  my  empire,  without  distinction  of  class  or  of  religion.  The  most  prompt 


220 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


and  energetic  means  for  remedying  the  abuses  in  collecting  the  taxes,  and  es¬ 
pecially  the  tithes,  shall  be  considered.  The  system  of  direct  collection  shall 
gradually,  and  as  soon  as  possible,  be  substituted  for  the  plan  of  farming,  in  all 
the  branches  of  the  revenues  of  the  State.  As  long  as  the  present  system  re¬ 
mains  in  force  all  agents  of  the  government  and  all  members  of  the  Medjlis 
shall  be  forbidden,  under  the  severest  penalties-,  to  become  lessees  of  any  farm¬ 
ing  contracts  which  are  announced  for  public  competition,  or  to  have  any  ben¬ 
eficial  interest  for  carrying  them  out.  The  local  taxes  shall,  as  far  as  possible, 
be  so  imposed  as  not  to  affect  the  sources  of  production,  or  to  hinder  the 
progress  of  internal  commerce* 

Works  of  public  utility  shall  receive  a  suitable  endowment,  part  of  which 
shall  be  raised  from  private  and  special  taxes  levied  in  the  provinces  which 
shall  have  the  benefit  of  the  advantages  arising  from  the  establishment  of  ways 
of  communication  by  land  and  sea. 

A  special  law  having  been  already  passed  which  declares  that  the  budget  of 
the  revenue  and  the  expenditure  of  the  State  shall  be  drawn  up  and  made  known 
every  year,  and  said  law  shall  be  most  scrupulously  observed.  Proceedings 
shall  be  taken  for  revising  the  emoluments  attached  to  this  office. 

The  heads  of  each  community  and  a  delegate  designated  by  my  Sublime 
Porte  shall  be  summoned  to  take  part  in  the  deliberations  of  the  Supreme 
Council  of  Justice  on  all  occasions  which  might  interest  the  generality  of  the 
subjects  of  my  empire.  They  shall  be  summoned  especially  for  this  purpose  by 
my  grand  vizier.  The  delegates  shall  hold  office  for  one  year ;  they  shall  be 
sworn  on  entering  upon  their  duties.  All  the  members  of  the  council,  at  the 
ordinary  and  extraordinary  meetings,  shall  freely  give  their  opinions  and  their 
votes,  and  no  one  shall  ever  annoy  them  on  that  account. 

The  laws  against  corruption,  extortion,  or  malversation  shall  apply  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  legal  forms,  to  all  the  subjects  of  my  empire,  whatever  may  be  their 
class  and  the  nature  of  their  duties. 

Steps  shall  be  taken  for  the  formation  of  banks  and  other  similar  institu¬ 
tions,  so  as  to  effect  a  reform  in  the  monetary  and  financial  system,  as  well  as 
to  create  funds  to  be  employed  in  augmenting  the  sources  of  the  material 
wealth  of  my  empire. 

Steps  shall  also  be  taken  for  the  formation  of  roads  and  canals  to  increase 
the  facilities  of  communication  and  increase  the  sources  of  wealth  of  the  coun¬ 
try.  Everything  that  can  impede  commerce  or  agriculture  shall  be  abolished. 
To  accomplish  these  objects  means  shall  be  sought  to  profit  by  the  science,  the 
art,  and  the  funds  of  Europe,  and  thus  gradually  to  execute  them. 

Such  being  my  wishes  and  my  commands,  you  who  are  my  grand  vizier 
will,  according  to  custom,  cause  this  imperial  firman  to  be  published  in  my 
capital  and  in  all  parts  of  my  empire  ;  and  you  will  watch  attentively  and  take 
all  the  necessary  measures  that  all  the  orders  which  it  contains  be  carried  out 
with  the  most  rigorous  punctuality. 


JHa.  j  v  f  v 


PP 


SEm^St® 

Wfi 


*8>>. 


DS165.G11 

The  Armenians,  or  The  people  of  Ararat. 


